


PENGUIN

by lizzybennettdarcy



Category: Glee
Genre: F/M, KURT BASHING, MERCEDES BASHING
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-14 21:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 23,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4581525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizzybennettdarcy/pseuds/lizzybennettdarcy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I want everyone to have their happy ending, San. You and I are endgame. We always have been. Everything got all mixed up. Sam and Quinn, Puck and Rachel. And Blaine and Kurt. They need our help." Santana would do anything for Brittany. If only she'd asked for something a little easier. Brittana, Puckleberry & Quam endgames with other various pairings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Santana

**Author's Note:**

> So it would seem that I'm about to embark on a multichapter Glee fic for the first time in a long time. For the record, I haven't actually watched an episode of Glee in a few years (minus the Quarterback because of course I watched that one). But I've kept up with the spoilers and this is my way of dealing with the ridiculousness that appears to be the intended series endgame.  
> There will be spoilers up until the end of season 6, I suppose. The pairings will be as follows: Brittana, with Klaine, Samchel, Quick to begin. Quam, Puckleberry. Klaine, Samchel and Quick are not my endgame, no matter what the Glee writers want. So fair warning.  
> There is every possibility that the characters in this story will seem OOC, but I resent many of the things they've done since season 2, so in my mind, Santana would never set out to ruin Rachel's Broadway dreams, Puck stole an ATM because he was devastated over losing Beth, Finn was never the perfect guy that we were supposed to believe etc. Quinn and Puck shared one scene where she was encouraging him instead of tearing him down, that does not equal true love. And while I don't hate Samchel, Puckleberry will always be it for me.  
> This is a prologue of sorts to set up the events that follow. I own nothing, Enjoy!

Santana leaned back in her chair and stared at her fiancé. Brittany was tearing her napkin into little squares and forming patterns on the table between them. Santana rolled her eyes but her lips turned up into a smile. In less than three weeks she would be Santana Lopez-Pierce. And the beautiful blonde in front of her would be Brittany Lopez-Pierce. The wedding planning was less stressful than she'd expected. Things were going well.

"San, that's what I want for my bridal present from you." Brittany repeated. "It's simple."

Santana tapped her nails against her cup. "Babe, there is nothing simple about what you're asking."

Brittany looked up from her napkin and not for the first time Santana was struck by the wisdom in her blue eyes. People believed that Brit was stupid. But people were wrong. And even before she opened her mouth, Santana knew that she'd do what she asked. Because Brittany knew people.

"I want everyone to have their happy ending, San. You and I are endgame. We always have been. We took some time and we were with other people but it was always going to be me and you." Brittany explained. "But everyone else got mixed up. Kurt and Blaine keep getting back together. And everyone thinks that Finn was Rachel's penguin but he wasn't. He never was."

Santana reached forwards and tangled her fingers with Brittany as the blonde thought over her next words.

"She and Sam are starting to like each other and Puck and Quinn keep pretending to be soul mates. But they're all mixed up, San! Kurt takes away Blaine's sparkle. And Sam got all confused. He thought he loved Mercedes and then he thought he loved me. And now he's trying to love Rachel because his penguin thinks she's someone else's penguin. But Sam's penguin is with Rachel's penguin. That's why I need you to fix it, San. Blaine and Kurt need to move on. Sam and Quinn need to get back together. And Rachel and Puck need to stop fighting destiny." Brittany inhaled sharply, out of breath.

Santana ran her free hand through her brown curls. She knew better than to fight Brittany on matters of love. Without Brittany, Santana wouldn't believe in love. And it wasn't like Santana didn't see things her way. Everyone had taken a wrong turn sometime in high school and all of them had been trying to find their way back since.

"Please, San."

She wondered if she could actually pinpoint when everything went to shit. A snarkier, younger Santana might have pointed to the day that glee club started as the beginning of the end. But that wasn't true. The day they all joined glee club was the beginning of everything.

"They all just need some help."

Maybe it wasn't just one day for each of them. Maybe there was a different moment that each of them went astray. Blaine had made a mistake when he stayed with Kurt after the Chandler incident. Sam was a little harder to pinpoint. Maybe his mistake had been dating Santana after Quinn broke his heart. He couldn't be faulted for Quinn's mistakes. Maybe he should have allowed his heart to mend and then see where it took him.

"I've been waiting for them to all figure it out. But it's going to be too late soon."

Everything got too complicated when she tried to factor in Quinn, Puck, Rachel and Finn. Finn would forever be spoken of with fondness and sadness. He was dead and so all sins must be forgiven. But Santana had a longer memory than most. And at the end of the day, Finn Hudson had been a very flawed individual. She believed that had he lived, he would have grown into a better man. But he hadn't. When he died, he was still a boy; a boy who held far too many hearts in his clumsy, careless hands. He always seemed to fit a little too conveniently into the divides. His attention to Rachel had inspired Quinn's decision to find comfort with Puck. His lies had broken Rachel's heart and inspired her to seek those same comforting arms of Noah. He had condemned Rachel's actions but forgiven Quinn's. He had chased Quinn and wouldn't rest until she had cheated on Sam. He had wanted Quinn only so long as Rachel was panting after him. Even after their reunion at Nationals, Finn always had one eye on Quinn. Despite his best intentions, he broke Rachel's heart when he put her on that train to New York. And even when he realised that he didn't fit into Rachel's world, he held on.

So maybe Finn's mistake wasn't a mistake so much as it was a character flaw. He always wanted what he couldn't have. Finn loved the chase. He was forever chasing what he couldn't have and he was never happy with what he got. It was a particularly tragic theme as he always got what he wanted. She liked to believe that someday he would have grown up. That he would have settled down and allowed himself to be happy with what he had. But Brit was right; Finn and Rachel would never have lasted.

"I've made a million different plans, but I need you on this one."

Quinn's mistake wasn't so obvious. Many would point to her dalliance with Puck and the baby that followed. But Q was heading nowhere fast before she became a mother. The kindness that followed meeting Beth was something that had to be learned the hard way. Perhaps Quinn's mistake was more like Finn's. Q was forever chasing a dream. She wasn't a fan of reality because reality was hard. For all the talk of Rachel being the dreamer, it was Q that spent the most time with her head forcefully in the clouds. Santana thought that maybe her mistake had been not allowing Sam fully into her heart. She had seen the fear in her friend's eyes, the terror that she'd get hurt. And Santana was ashamed to admit, even just to herself, that she had loved it. So Quinn had lost Sam. That was Quinn's big mistake.

Rachel and Puck were so intertwined that it was hard to tell who was at fault. Rachel should never have chased Finn. Puck should never have been a jerk about their breakup. But Puck had chosen Rachel over football and popularity. And Rachel had been a friend to him when everyone else hated him for pollinating Quinn. Rachel had never seen Puck. Or maybe she'd just never allowed herself to. There was a reason that it was always Puck she went to. She wasn't 15 year old Q. She didn't choose Puck to hurt Finn. She chose Puck because she trusted him. And Puck was forever getting himself into trouble trying to make her happy.

They'd been too young, too immature when they'd dated. They'd both grown through falling for other people, and everything with Beth and Shelby. Maybe Rachel's mistake had been not breaking up with Finn in Junior year for lying. If she'd followed her instincts, she would have dumped him. And when Puck inevitably comforted her, she would have been single. So maybe Puck's mistake was not using his Jewberry powers of persuasion and pep-talking Rachel into making the right decision. His mistake had been going over to her house while she still had a boyfriend.

"I know, Brit." She acknowledged finally.

Quinn was light when she was with Sam. There was really no other way to describe it. She was quieter, more introspective. She was happy. Sam had been too young and uncomfortable in his own skin. But they'd both grown up and he knew his worth. He would never allow her to walk all over him. They would complement each other. They always had.

"I can't believe that Quinn told Puck that she was his soul mate!" Brit vented.

Santana snorted. Yeah okay, she couldn't believe it either. Even for the Queen of Denial, that had been rich. The two of them would forever share a daughter and there was love there. But mostly there was pain and often, hate. Quinn had spent years calling him a Lima Loser and those wounds had barely begun to heal. The two of them had never been lovers, they'd never been friends. They were parents but they shared nothing else. Santana hoped that someday they could be friends. There was so much potential there, but they were forcing love where there was none.

Puck, on the other hand, Santana didn't understand. He was smarter than people gave him credit for. For someone who'd spent years denying having feelings, he had always been perfectly in tune with his own. He knew his own heart. And Santana knew that Puck had loved Rachel since before glee club. And Puck knew that he loved Rachel. Maybe he felt that being with Quinn was less of a betrayal to Finn. But Santana thought that Brit was right on this one. Finchel was never built to last. So maybe that guilt needed to go.

"I'll do it." She announced, interrupting Brittany's rant. "You're right. Everything got all mixed up. Sam and Quinn, Puck and Rachel."

"And Blaine and Kurt. I know Sue is trying to get them back together but she's wrong."

Santana could feel a headache coming on. Sorting out the loves lives of the other losers was hard enough. But going head to head with Psychotic Sylvester was something else entirely.

"Don't worry, San. I've got a plan for  _Klaine_." Santana snickered at the way Brittany's face soured while mentioning the couple's couple name.

Santana raised an eyebrow as Brittany started speaking. Oh things were about to get downright interesting.

 


	2. Artie

Artie stared down at the various binders spread out on the table in front of him. He would never understand just how he managed to end up as the wedding planner for the big wedding. It was of course a little awkward as Artie had spent the majority of Junior and Senior year in love with Brittany. His fights with Santana over the blonde were well documented after all. He supposed that all of that was in the past. It was still a little strange though. Not to mention the fact that he was in no way qualified to plan a wedding, especially one that was not his own. He would have understood if he'd been asked to create a wedding slideshow or DJ the reception, but what about Artie Abrams could possibly have screamed "wedding planner"?

He flipped a page in the flower arrangement binder and sighed heavily. Yeah this sucked. So far he'd only picked up the arrangement binders from various service providers and assigned Gleek roles.

"Sup, Wheels?"

Artie looked up from the binder in front of him and stared as Santana Lopez threw herself into the chair across from him. Okay so being annoyed wasn't exactly awesome, but this job sucked.

Santana rolled her eyes when he didn't answer. "Which one of these has the list of to-dos for all of our friends?"

Artie squinted at the piles in front of him as he shuffled everything around. After a few moments he pulled a yellow paper from the stack of brochures for wedding locations. He was so not organized enough for this shit.

Santana snatched the paper from his hand and scanned the paper quickly with shrewd brown eyes. She clicked her tongue and Artie glared at her. "What?"

Santana held up a finger as she finished looking over the page. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a pen and started crossing out words on his list. Artie could feel his blood pressure rising as he watched the woman scribbling out all of his work so far.

"Here's the thing, Artie. We need to make some changes." Santana told him bluntly. She looked up at him and quirked an eyebrow at the anger she found on his face. "It's complicated, okay? I need you to trust me on this one." She muttered under breath in Spanish. "It's for Brit."

Artie blew out a breath and shrugged. If this was what Bridezilla looked like then he was lucky. Santana was more than capable of biting his head off and stomping all over him. The fact that she'd been polite about it meant something to him.

"I need you to stick to these pairings,  _please_." Artie laughed at the way her mouth scrunched up around the word. "And make those lazy assholes do some of the work, Wheels." She winked at him, then stood up and walked out of the Lima Bean.

Artie stared after her for a moment before snatching up the paper. His eyebrows furrowed as he noticed that she'd changed all of the assigned pairings. Blaine was off music and instead he would be on Brittany bridal duty. Artie had no idea what that meant but he was sure that Blaine would figure it out. Puck and Rachel on the musical arrangements for the wedding and reception made sense, technically. The two of them were so talented and they had great musical chemistry. Although Artie was caught on the fact that Santana had split up the couple(s)/whatever Sam and Rachel were. Sam and Quinn being the go-to people for the wedding vendors was a blessing. Artie hated the wedding vendors. He hated all of them. The biggest surprise though was the fact that Kurt had been taken out of the wedding planning. Artie squinted at the handwritten notes in the margins. Santana reasoned that Kurt would be too busy between school and practicum to really help. But Artie was calling bullshit. Kurt lived for this crap. He was furious about not being asked to plan the whole thing. Artie did not relish the idea of telling him he was out altogether.

Artie pulled out his phone and sent out a mass text, reminding his friends of their meeting. They weren't supposed to be there for another 15 minutes but he figured the reminder couldn't hurt. He put his phone away and started to sort his piles into the assigned categories. He was feeling a little better about this whole wedding planning thing. It looked like he was going to be doing this in a more managerial role. He would of course be the go-to person between the brides and the rest of the crew. But his nightmare of drowning in wedding plans looked to be nothing more than his wild imagination. Artie jumped as someone tapped his shoulder. His head swiveled to face Sam's easy smile.

"Hey, man. Could you pull a few more chairs over here before you grab your coffee?" Artie asked as he continued to sort through his piles.

Sam did as he was asked and then headed over to the counter. Artie finished sorting and then settled back into his wheelchair, sipping his coffee. Within a few minutes, Blaine and Kurt had arrived and were settled around the table with he and Sam. Puck walked into the café looking like a thundercloud and dropped his jacket on a free chair. It was clear he wasn't happy and everyone at the table seemed to know it. Well, everyone but Kurt.

"Where's Quinn?" Kurt questioned.

Artie barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Puck's eyes narrowed on Kurt. "She's not coming."

And that's where the questioning should have ended. On second thought he kind of understood why Santana didn't want Kurt involved. "Why not? She's supposed to be helping. Where is she?"

Puck jaw was tight as he ground his teeth together. After a tense moment he simply turned on his heel and headed over to the counter. Artie ignored Kurt's whispered stream of gossip. He glanced over at Sam and Blaine and found that Sam was watching Puck with some concern and Blaine was forcing a smile.

"So, Artie." Blaine ground out, effectively cutting Kurt off. "How's the planning going?"

Artie opened his mouth to answer when he heard Puck's gruff laugh across the room. The men at his table all turned in time to see Puck laughing with Rachel over something she had said. The frown had disappeared as Rachel giggled her way through a story. Artie felt his lips turn up as he started to catch on to just why Santana had changed his plans. It had been a long while since Artie had seen the two of them so carefree. It was especially poignant when considering Puck's earlier mood. The two of them continued chatting unawares as they made their way over to the table. Artie noted that Rachel took the free chair beside Puck instead of Sam. The small smile on Puck's lips hinted that he too had noticed.

"Hello, Artie!" Rachel greeted him after taking off her coat. "It looks like you've been very busy. How can we help?" Puck rolled his eyes at the use of "we" and Artie grinned.

"This is going to be a group effort, guys. For the most part, it's us. I know that Mercedes, Tina and Mike will be helping out a little bit later but I'll plan their stuff later. Santana and Brittany have for the most part told me their preferences. This is more or less my interpretation of what they want. I'm the go-to guy between us and them. We have to plan quickly and I don't want Brit and Santana getting stressed out. So if there's a problem, you come to me. Got it?" Artie paused looking down at the list. "Puck and Rachel, you guys are on music. We can fit some big group number in there at some point but Santana was clear on what she wanted. And it's the two of you. So can you handle the wedding and reception music?"

Rachel's eyes widened before she glanced over at Puck and smiled. "Of course!"

Puck looked down at Rachel for a moment before turning back to Artie. "Yeah, man."

Artie snuck a peak over at Sam and noticed that he was looking between Rachel and Puck with some confusion.

"Awesome." Artie made a note on his list and then pointed to the binder containing the music for the wedding. "They have one song requested and then a list of songs they don't want. Other than that it's up to you guys. Total artistic freedom."

Puck opened the binder and grinned as he read over the list.

"Do you need us for anything else?" Rachel asked, leaning towards Puck and reading the binder in his lap.

Artie glanced at his list once more. "Nope. That's it."

Rachel nodded and stood up. She buttoned up her jacket and then waited impatiently as Puck did the same thing. She was practically buzzing with energy as she said goodbye and dragged Puck out the door. Artie didn't think Puck looked to upset about it. In fact, he looked pretty damn thrilled.

Artie turned back to face Sam, Blaine and Kurt. "Sam, you and Quinn will be taking on all of the wedding vendors. Most of these binders are for you. I've marked some possibilities as well as written down any of the bridal preferences. You and Quinn will be handling all of the face-to-face stuff with the vendors. Quinn will love it. Santana nailed this one." Artie explained to a wide-eyed Sam. "You're there to rein her in, Sammy. And to keep the vendors from taking advantage. Also, you'll do the heavy lifting."

Sam shook his head dazedly. "Alright, I'll call Q." He gathered up all of the binders and put them in the box that Artie had brought them in. He waved goodbye before heading out the door.

Artie bit the inside of his cheek as he turned to face the music. Blaine had a knowing smile and Artie felt some relief. "Blaine, you're on Brittany duty. Before you ask, I have no idea what that actually entails but the two of you will figure it out. It was important to Santana that you be with Brit."

Blaine nodded with a wicked gleam in his eye. Yeah, he was sure the two of them would get up to trouble together. "Sounds like fun."

"Well this all sounds delightful. Now what am I doing? Aside from not planning the wedding. Which for the record was a huge oversight on their-" Kurt cut in snidely.

"You aren't." Artie interrupted bluntly. "Santana wants you to focus on school and the glee club."

Kurt's eyebrows rose dangerously high and his face reddened. "What? Is this a joke?"

Artie glanced over at Blaine who shrugged helplessly.

"Why would I not help? Of course I have time! Not to mention that I have the best taste out of our little group! Let me call her and-"

"No. We already agreed that I'm the only one to bug them about wedding stuff. Santana said you're out. So you're out." Artie finished firmly.

Kurt's jaw snapped shut. He was still for a moment before he was throwing his jacket on and storming towards the door. Blaine and Artie stared after him. A moment later Kurt reappeared and glared at them. "Blaine!" Artie watched as Blaine slowly picked up his things. He muttered a goodbye under his breath and then followed Kurt. Artie could just make out Kurt chiding his fiancé on ruining his storm-out by not following him.

And just like that, Artie understood. Looking down at his list, he saw it. Not only did he understand but he was 100 % on board with the plan.

He shouldn't be surprised. They wouldn't be them without someone scheming in the background while everyone prepared for a big event. At least this time it was the greater good of the group and Sue Sylvester wasn't involved.

Oh, God. He hoped that Sue wasn't involved.

 


	3. Kurt

Kurt Hummel was no idiot. He wasn't stupid.

So he knew that something was going on. It made absolutely no sense that Santana and Brittany would hire  _Artie_ of all people to plan their wedding. Why would they make that call when  _he_ , Kurt Hummel was available to offer his services? What was the point of having a fabulous gay friend if you weren't going to allow him to plan any and all social occasions?

And that was the question he had asked of Santana the day after Artie's condescending little coffee meeting. Like he was supposed to go through Artie to take to Santana? He'd lived with her for a year, he didn't need to go through  _anyone_ to talk to her or anyone else that he wanted to see. He was sure that if she just let him explain, she'd see it his way.

It was more than a little rude when she'd slammed the door in his face when he'd knocked. Really, how petulant. He wasn't there to fight after all. He just wanted her to see reason. And if he needed to cut her down to make that happen, then so be it.

"Santana, this isn't high school." He called through the door.

The door opened to reveal a less than pleased Santana. "Tell that to your trashy hiphuggers."

Kurt glared at her. It was insulting enough that he wasn't planning her stupid wedding, and it wouldn't continue to be stupid as long as Artie was in charge, but now she was insulting his  _clothes_. "I'm gay, Santana. And I work at Vogue."

Santana raised a perfectly sculpted brow. "Then you have no excuse."

He bristled and clenched his hands into fists. "It's not my problem if you can't recognize true art."

Santana snorted. "Is that what you're doing? Making a statement? Wearing lady pants isn't artistic, Hummel, it's not fashion, it's horrible."

He crossed his arms across his chest. "I would have thought that you, of all people, would be less homophobic!"

His ire grew as Santana shook her head and laughed at him. "I'm not homophobic, loser. I'm about to marry another woman. And hating on your clothes isn't homophobic; it's common sense. Blaine is gay and he  _always_ looks good, can't you do the same?" He opened his mouth to argue but she held up a hand. "You didn't come here to argue about your horrible taste in clothes. What do you want?"

Kurt's mouth hung open as he stared up at the horribly rude woman in front of him. How was it possible to even have an adult conversation with such a child?

He watched in surprise as the door closed in his face once more. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he stepped forwards and rapped on the door. His chest heaved as he gathered his courage.

His eyebrows furrowed as his pulse began to slow. "I know you're in there, Santana!" He yelled, banging on the door after five minutes of silence. He continued to knock until his phone buzzed several moments later.

He opened the text message from Santana:

**There's some psycho banging my door down. I'm calling the police.**

Kurt glared at his phone as he calculated the odds of her actually following through with her threat. He thought about standing his ground, but this was Santana so who was he kidding? No logic could be expected from a girl who actually thought to insult his style.

"Whatever." He muttered before turning on his heel and walking down the driveway. He dialed his fiancé's number and held the phone to his ear. His annoyance only grew as the phone rang three times and went to voicemail. He tried again and this time it rang twice before hitting voicemail.

Blaine was ignoring him! Probably off with Brittany, no doubt. The betrayal stung as Kurt walked out of Lima Heights towards his parents' place. He had demanded that Blaine quit helping with the wedding until they saw the error of their ways and beg Kurt to plan the wedding.

But Blaine had said no! He'd actually refused. Kurt had threatened to withhold sex if he didn't.

And that's the story of how Kurt ended up in the middle of a three-week dry spell. To be honest he'd been sure that Blaine would give in and beg for forgiveness. Blaine had been firmly at heel since Kurt had taken him back. He had known his place.

Kurt sighed. Those had been simpler times. He'd been happily engaged to a sweet, talented, easily controlled boy who loved him completely. Blaine was the perfect arm-candy to shove in the faces of the losers who'd bullied him for so long. Everything had been planned out. Kurt would work his way up through the ranks of both Vogue and Broadway and gain great success and fame within both. Blaine would do some performing, just enough to get a name for himself, but not more than Kurt of course. Then they'd get married and adopt some beautiful children and Blaine would raise them while Kurt worked.

He hadn't anticipated any argument from Blaine. The younger man had been so desperate to make things work that he'd done all of the heavy lifting of their relationship. Kurt liked being pampered; he expected it. So he didn't think he was asking too much for Blaine to take his side. He wouldn't even know Brittany and Santana if it wasn't for Kurt! And suddenly he was going out with Puck and hanging out with Sam again! He thought he'd gotten rid of that annoying little bromance the year before. And now he had to worry about Puckerman as well.

Coming home had obviously been a mistake. Rachel refused to see that he knew better in all things and Blaine was becoming more trouble than he was worth. He should have just stayed in New York and given Elliot a shot. But he'd seen that stubbornness within the man and he wasn't interested in fighting against it. But now he was stuck in Lima dealing with it in Blaine instead.

And he was alone. Rachel was too busy teaching those Podunk kids. Not to mention the way she was juggling every guy in her life. He disagreed with Mercedes too. Rachel had tried and failed. Maybe she belonged in Lima after all.

Okay so that last thought wasn't exactly kind. But it wasn't untrue either. She refused to step down from the wedding plans in support of Kurt. He had expected less of her than Blaine but it was a betrayal nonetheless.

Santana had barely acknowledged him since the day she'd rudely slammed the door in his face,  _twice_. And he hadn't seen Brittany as she was locked away with Blaine most of the time. Kurt paused his inner monologue and wondered if he needed to be worried about the two of them. True, Brit was getting married and Blaine was his fiancé. But Brittany had always been a bit of a slut. And Blaine had cheated before. He shook his head and went back to eating his breakfast. Blaine was as gay as they came, Rachel had tried to change him and had failed embarrassingly. Though Kurt wasn't convinced he didn't need to worry about Puck and Sam.

"No." He muttered, annoyed. Blaine knew better after the last time. Kurt had barely taken him back, he wouldn't risk it again.

The phone buzzed on the table and he reached for it. A smile lit across his face as he read a particularly suggestive text from Chandler. He texted him back something positively filthy before turning back to the matter at hand.

He doubted that Blaine was cheating on him. But he'd keep an eye on the situation. His phone buzzed again and Kurt bit his lip at the proposition from Chandler.

Maybe being back in Lima didn't have to be so boring and lonely after all.

 


	4. Mike

Mike Chang made it home for a long weekend and had spent every moment with his friends. He was happy to spend his break helping to plan the wedding of Brittany and Santana. Because, well for a while there he'd worried that they would never get their shit together.

Their little group was known for their drama and incestuous dating history. He had once heard Sue plotting with Becky to infect one of the gleeks with a deadly virus. She had explained to her assistant that it would only take one to infect the bunch given their inter-dating practices. Mike had obviously reported what he'd heard to Mr. Schuester immediately.

But there had been a few years when Mike had started to doubt that his friends would ever make it down the aisle. The thing about Mike was that he saw things. Well, he saw  _everything_ to be specific. Puck was forever joking about him being a ninja but the truth was that he was just quiet. Unlike his friends, he didn't have extroverted-bordering on obnoxious tendencies. It was easy to go unnoticed when you lived a relatively drama-free life within a group of crazies. So Mike saw things that others didn't notice.

For example he was the first person to realise that Quinn was pregnant with Puck's kid. The two of them had whisper-shouted  _right_ in front of him. Literally, he'd been standing right behind them.

But with great power came great responsibility. Okay, so Spiderman's uncle said that, sue him. But it applied. Mike saw more things than he should. So he kept his mouth shut, only speaking up when it needed to be done for the good of the people around him. He had kept Quinn's secret for several reasons: He'd known that Finn would go psycho, he knew that Puck would eventually get sick of the lies and/or he figured someone else would blab. He didn't want to start drama. And it just wasn't his secret to tell.

Anyways all of this was basically just to explain how he knew what was going on within his friend group without having to be told.

It had started almost immediately upon his return to Lima. He was hanging out with Brittany and Blaine. Blaine had been given the job of Brittany's helper, and only the two of them seemed to understand what that entailed. But Mike had known Brit a long time and he liked that Blaine seemed to understand her without effort. It was his knowledge of Brittany that gave her away in the end. They'd been playing DDR in Brittany's basement when Brit turned the conversation to Kurt. Mike's eyes had narrowed as she innocently asked Blaine if Kurt still talked to Chandler. Blaine's feet had stopped even before he whipped his head to face her. Blaine searched her face meticulously before accepting her shrug and going back to the game. Mike however hadn't missed the look of very mischievous triumph that crossed the blonde's face.

The next day he'd been sitting in Quinn's living room with Sam as they looked over the flower arrangement options. The three of them had just decided on pink Gerber daisies with white and pink lilies for the bridal bouquets when Santana walked in. She looked over their choices for a few minutes before agreeing. She'd been on her way out when her parting shot caught his attention.

"You guys are awesome but I gotta jet. I left Puck and Rachel at my place working on the ceremony." He watched her twitching lips as she fought to contain a smirk. "I was  _so_ sure that all of that unresolved sexual tension would dissipate now that they're just friends." Santana glanced down at her manicured nails as if she hadn't just insulted Sam and Quinn, but Mike knew better. "Whatever. I'd better go before they just splatter the walls with Jewish sex appeal. Later losers."

And with that she was gone. Mike had stared after her in horror as he realised how uncomfortable it all was. He finally looked over to his friends and noticed a defeated Quinn and a concerned Sam. It had taken several moments for them to get back to work on the table settings. And even then it only lasted a few minutes before Quinn had excused herself, picking up her phone and dialing. Sam and Mike had listened awkwardly as she yelled at Puck in the other room. The two of them had bailed pretty quickly as the fight turned dirty, at least on her side (the only side they could hear) with accusations flying and mean high-school nicknames escaping Quinn's lips.

Sam for his part had seemed unfazed. Mike noted that his concern for Quinn had overshadowed any jealousy he might have felt over Rachel and Puck.

But it wasn't until his last night that it all fell into place for Mike. He was more than a little embarrassed that he hadn't pieced it together sooner. There had been several instances during the four days he'd been home but it was only after he watched the last, that the rest of them added together to make a very clear picture.

The group had met up for a night of fun at Breadsticks. He couldn't tell you why they thought that Breadsticks would be fun, but it was important to the brides-to-be and none of them were going to disappoint. In true Glee fashion, there was drama even before the night begun. Quinn was sitting with Sam and Blaine, shooting daggers at Puck where he sat with Rachel and Brittany. He'd watched all of the night's festivities from beside a snarky Kurt and a thoroughly bored Artie. Santana, he'd noticed was also watching the group with interest. As the night wore on, the drinks began to flow and inhibitions started to fail.

It started with Kurt getting up in Brittany's face about the fact that he wasn't involved in the wedding. Santana, of course took offense to his proximity and comments to her fiancé and took over for Brittany. The fight turned ugly, quickly, as all of their friends watched in awe. When he was finally cornered into submission by Santana he'd instead turned on Blaine for sitting there and allowing Santana to treat him that way. There had been a moment of awkward silence before Blaine's chin lifted and he told Kurt that Santana was right and so he'd stayed out of it.

Mike wished that he could say that it had ended with Kurt dramatically throwing his ring at Blaine and storming out. But the boy, because well he wasn't quite a man yet it would seem, snarled some more horrible things at Santana for "ruining his life". And everyone had finally found out the answer to the age-old question "Did Santana really keep razorblades in her hair?"

Thankfully Kurt had scurried out with the first flash of silver but he'd left his spiteful mood behind. Artie and Mike had tried to bring trivial conversation back to the group but failed as Sam snapped at Puck. Everyone had been confused when Sam had taken offense to a fairly innocent joke that Puck was telling Rachel and Blaine. Well, Mike hadn't been confused. Sam had been watching Quinn watch the others and as her mood soured, so did his.

Puck for his part had simply studied his friend before turning back to Rachel and talking about something else. And that should have been it. But then Quinn took offense to Rachel laughing. They all stared wide-eyed as the blonde burst into tears and ran to the bathroom. Rachel, after a few moments of nobody going after her, excused herself and followed Quinn to the bathroom. A few of the gleeks looked mildly concerned but Mike knew that Rachel was more than capable of handling Quinn. Instead he focused on Puck whose gaze hadn't left the hallway that the two women had disappeared down. He turned to Brittany as she started up a seemingly random conversation about how nice it was that he and Quinn were back together.

"And it's so great that you've found someone who understands and shares your religion. Your mom must be so happy!" Brittany exclaimed.

Mike held his breath as Puck stared at the blonde in confusion. "Brit, Quinn isn't Jewish. And she's made it clear that she's never gonna be."

Brittany's face fell. "Oh, but what about your mom? Doesn't she mind?"

And as Puck looked away from the blonde, Mike saw the doubt written on his face. He also noticed the subtle look between Santana and Brittany.

And then it hit him. For some reason unknown, San and Brit had decided to meddle in the love lives of their friends. Kurt and Blaine were no longer together and Blaine didn't really look like someone who'd just been dumped publicly. Sam and Rachel seemed to have paused whatever was going on between the two of them. And as he watched Rachel lead a tear-stained Quinn back to the table, he realised that Quinn and Puck had never been further apart.

He must have been gawping at his friends with his mouth open because Artie leaned over and whispered "Finally worked it out, have you?"

Mike looked at his friend and nodded. He shook his head to clear the haze and sat back with Artie to enjoy the show.

 


	5. Quinn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've had this one written since I posted the first chapter. The problem with the interconnected one-shots method is that it can be difficult to choose which go where. A reviewer pointed out that the story seemed a bit detached since most of it was being told from the POV of those who weren't involved. That was done sort of on purpose, so that people could see things from an outsider's (multiple outsider's) perspective before hearing it firsthand from the main four.
> 
> Now this chapter blurs timelines a bit because I haven't watched the show in a few seasons and it was already written by the time I'd realized. That and I don't care all that much. So if something seems out of place, I'm aware of it and chose to post anyways.
> 
> This one is from Quinn's POV. Full disclosure: Quinn is a favorite of mine, and often ends up sweeter in my stories (sort of Joe era, sweet and kind). She might not come off as particularly perfect in this chapter. But and this is important, she is fully aware of it (and maybe overly harsh on herself) and she's not alone. We'll explore similar bad choices by the other characters. So please don't think this is anti-Quinn. She's not the bad guy, and she'll get her happy ending. I promise.
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy! I own nothing.

Quinn studied Sam as he sorted through the piles of work on her floor. She liked his hair brown. It had gotten long and unruly for a while but this short, brown style really suited him. It brought out the green in his eyes.

She had been surprised but pleased when Sam had shown up after a particularly nasty fight with Puck. He'd been carrying a heavy box as he walked into her home. His eyes traced over blotches that were left from her tears but he didn't ask. She had wondered if Puck had told him about their fight, or if maybe he just didn't feel comfortable asking. Instead he explained what they'd be planning and that for the most part, it would just be the two of them. At that moment she'd only had time to be happy that she wasn't working with Puck. She hadn't thought to worry about what working so closely with Sam might cause.

She couldn't find it in her to wish that she'd been more cautious. But she was sure that she'd get there eventually. Right now she was just enjoying the natural ease that came between them. It had always been that way, even when they'd just been getting to know each other. Quinn could always just  _be_ with him. She didn't need to over-think it or analyze anything.

So she watched him, sometimes. Not in a creepy way but it was nice to see him smile even when he thought no one was looking. He wasn't the boy she'd loved all those years ago but in so many ways he was the same. He was confident now, he knew who he was. He was so at ease with himself. And that dopey smile of his sometimes reminded her of Finn. Not in an obvious way and the pang that it caused within her chest was only sad because he'd died too soon. Finn hadn't been her forever. Not really. But she'd loved him just the same. She missed him sometimes and she probably always would. She had never dreamed a future that he wasn't a part of in some capacity. That had led to her belief that he must be her endgame. But then she realised, a little too late, that there were other people she couldn't imagine life without who she had no romantic interest in.

So Sam reminded her a bit of Finn's hope, of the way he viewed the world. But Sam was his own man. He was kind and funny and loyal. He would never intentionally hurt a fly and perhaps most unlike Finn, he would never allow his thoughtless actions to hurt anyone either. And unlike Puck, he would never ignore her or call her a "fucking nut" when she picked fights with him. He wouldn't walk out halfway through fights either.

She wasn't being totally fair. She knew that. When she fought with Puck she fought dirty. She hit below the belt and threw venom at him until he finally fought back. But the Puckerman temper was no match for hers. Because at the end of the day, Puck loved her, though she wasn't sure it was the way that she wanted him to. The worst he'd ever called her was some variation of crazy. He'd basically thrown the thesaurus at her by this point. But he never aimed to hurt her. She threw accusations around and brought up Beth and his father and Finn. But he never hit back with his words or his fists. Every fight ended when he'd finally had enough. At that point there was nothing that would keep him in the room with her. He'd walk out and she'd be left in her own misery to regret all of the horrible things she'd said to him.

And regret them she did. She'd go back to him and trip over herself apologizing and each time he'd forgive her.

Quinn wasn't so sure she wanted him to forgive her. Why else would she pick fights with him at every turn?

So spending time like this with Sam was nice. And it was mostly innocent. Besides it was only fair that she enjoy her time with Sam while Rachel got  _Noah_.

Maybe Quinn had believed that Noah was who she was going to be with. When she'd asked him to stay and asked him to be her soul mate, Quinn hadn't been asking him to be Puck; she'd wanted Noah. Or at least that's what she thought she'd wanted. But then they'd been together and she'd still called him Puck and he'd still been Puck. She hadn't called him Noah because he'd never been Noah with her. And she was the tiniest bit afraid that he wouldn't let her call him that. He had only ever been Noah to one person and it wasn't Quinn.

It wasn't fair to be angry at Rachel. It wasn't Rachel's fault that Noah Puckerman had loved her for years and would continue to love her forever. It wasn't Rachel's fault that no matter how hard Puck tried, he couldn't make Quinn happy. It wasn't Rachel's fault that sometimes when Quinn was lying awake next to Puck she thought about Sam. And it wasn't Rachel's fault that Sam had fallen for her too.

None of it was Rachel's fault. Quinn couldn't throw the girl code at her. She was dating Puck, Rachel's ex. She didn't have the right to be jealous because she already had a boyfriend and he'd been Rachel's boyfriend first.

So it was wrong to be mad at Rachel.

Which is why Quinn had decided to simply enjoy her time with Sam. Everything else was complicated and she had no idea how to fix any of it. But these moments where she and Sam simply  _existed_ together were worth all of those moments of turmoil. She just wished that it was as simple as this. Because she'd asked Puck to give her forever. She'd promised to love him until they died and he stood by those promises. He stood by her even as she made him miserable. He still came by her apartment at the end of days he'd spent planning with Rachel.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sam asked softly, eyes wide with concern. Quinn wiped at the eyes she hadn't realized were overflowing.

See the thing is that Quinn had lied when she'd told Puck that Finn and Rachel had been soul mates. She wasn't 100 % sure that she believed in soul mates but she knew that Finchel had been over for good even before Finn died. Rachel was no more Finn's soul mate than Quinn had been. But everyone had been so sad and people were pairing off in their pain. Sam had been still in love with Mercedes and confused about Brittany.

She was ashamed of herself but she hadn't wanted to be alone. Finn was gone and she'd known that Puck would step up and get Rachel through it. She'd known that he'd be there and he would never leave because Puckleberry had always been endgame. But her heart was broken too and she hadn't wanted to be alone.

She lied when she said that Finn was Rachel's soul mate and that Puck was hers. She'd lied because if she hadn't reinforced the fact that Rachel was Finn's girl then Puck would have taken care of her and eventually she would have loved him back. Puck had just lost his best friend and he was vulnerable and she took advantage. He wanted to make something happen between the two of them so she'd made it happen.

At first she'd convinced herself that she'd done the right thing. They'd leaned on each other to get through it all. But the fact was that they'd never been good together. Puck did his best to make her happy and most of the time she reciprocated.

But it had never been as easy as it was with Sam. And as the blonde wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders Quinn realized that she'd made a horrible mistake. She wondered if maybe her choices were holding back everyone from being happy.

And so she cried even harder.


	6. Santana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh well hello gentle readers. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing last chapter. This is my thank you for such an awesome response. It's another from Santana's POV. This chapter gives a pretty in depth insight into what she's doing. And of course a little bit of spin on some of the lamer aspects of the show in recent years. Rated higher for Santana's mouth.
> 
> The next one is from Mercedes and...it would seem that I've picked my villains. I knowingly twisted some of Kurt and Mercedes' actions to suit my purposes. So obviously if you're a huge Mercedes or Kurt fan...this story is going to veer off-course for you pretty quick. For everyone else - I have a timeline and another chapter written.
> 
> Enjoy!

Santana was exhausted. She wasn't built for this emotional shit.

Okay, no. She wasn't built for everyone else's emotional shit. She could  _absolutely_  get on board with spending the rest of her life with Brittany. She was enjoying the pre-wedding bliss that seemed to come with the stress-free wedding planning that the two of them had very little to do with. She loved waking up to see Brittany bouncing around making plans and singing happily.

And okay, she was also totally into catching up with some of her friends. It had been way too long since she and Puck had hung out. Things had been tense between the two of them since the football jacket incident. By the time that Mr. Schue had fessed up, Puck had already enlisted and gone radio silent.

Not that Santana had tried to get a hold of him. She had been properly ashamed of herself by the time the nostalgia had worn off but it had been too late. Santana was honest, sometimes brutally so, and she knew that she'd been unfair to Puck. He had, after all, been Finn's best friend. Kurt had everything else to keep. And Santana had no real right to claim something, because no matter how she felt about him after he died, she and Finn had not been friends. So it wasn't ridiculous for Puck to have wanted to keep the jacket. Finn had followed Puck onto the football team, and it was only because of Puck's talent that their team had ever won anything.

So she knew she had screwed up. But pride and circumstance had sort of prevented her from burying the hatchet. Of course it had been Rachel that cut through the bullshit and pointed out the obvious.

_Rachel stood in front of them with her hands on her hips and her eyebrows raised. Santana wanted to make a joke but she wasn't sure how Puck would react. She'd always known how he'd react before. But-_

" _You two are ridiculous. Your friendship might have caused more than your fair share of trouble during high school, but the two of you love each other. I know that things are awkward but you need to get over it. Finn would_ never  _have wanted something as material as his jacket to ruin your friendship." Rachel's face softened as she watched both of them recoil. "Santana, you were hurting and you said some things you shouldn't have. I know how much you've regretted your actions. And Noah, you weren't always reasonable in your grief. Both of you need to forgive each other. Because none of us handled his death well. It's time to move on. And it's time for the two of you to make up."_

_Santana blinked against the tears threatening to fall as Rachel hugged her quickly. She watched as the tiny brunette stepped up to Puck, leaned into him and kissed his cheek. Even in her great discomfort, Santana noticed the blush on Rachel's cheeks and the warmth in Puck's eyes._

_Rachel threw them one last smile before walking out of the choir room and closing the door behind her. The two of them stared after her._

" _Man, she's a pain in the ass." Puck grumbled softly. Santana huffed out a laugh because could he be any more in love with said "pain in the ass"?_

" _Puck, I'm –"_

_Puck shook his head forcefully. "Me too."_

_And that was that._

So yeah, catching up with Puck was kind of the bomb. And spending time with Puck and Rachel as they planned the wedding music? She hadn't had this much fun since she graduated. And okay, no matter how much she bitched to Brit about it, she had no problem with the unresolved sexual tension and longing looks that the two of them threw at each other. It felt like home, okay?

But constantly plotting and planning was tiring. Especially when she realized how stupid all of her friends were. How was it that none of them could just figure it out? It was beyond obvious to everyone else just how  _wrong_ they all were. Like who did Kurt think he was kidding? Yes, obviously Santana had been taken in a few times over the time they lived together but that was generally when she was being God-awful and he jumped in to support her.

Seriously, for as long as she lived, she would never be able to justify auditioning for and accepting a role in Funny Girl. But Kurt had fully supported her!

And maybe that was how he did it. He manipulated people when they were at their lowest. And Blaine, oh Blaine, was certainly at his lowest.

Santana agreed with Brittany on that course of action. Splitting his time between the blond bride and spending time with Sam and Puck was brilliant. It limited his time with Kurt, which meant limiting Kurt's influence and creating more reasons for Kurt to act out. Brit said that Blaine needed to get his sparkle back and Santana was in agreement. He was way too awesome and had way too much talent to be slumming it in the self-hate zone that he lived in when he was with Kurt.

As for the others, the thing was that Santana suspected that all of them were aware of their own clusterfuckery. Puck only ever really opened up when he was with Rachel. And Quinn only really smiled when she was with Sam. Sam and Rachel were all bumbling awkwardness and trying too hard. And Quinn and Puck brought out the very worst in each other. They all seemed at least unconsciously aware of their real feelings. Anytime they were all together, they each gravitated to where they really belonged. But none of it stuck. They always left with the wrong person.

And that was fucking exhausting.

Santana also hated the shit out of this empathy garbage. Things were way easier when she didn't care. It was great when she could just observe and occasionally throw shade at all of their drama. But actively seeing and willingly becoming involved with all of their dysfunction was too much.

Maybe she was going soft. She knew what it was like to lose Brittany and try to make it work with someone else. She had loved Dani but she couldn't forget Brit. So she knew how it felt to watch your person with someone else.

But she wasn't just watching one friend screw up their love life. No, of course it had to be  _all_ of her friends. And it was so simple. Everyone needed to just break up and shuffle. Santana's solution was literally eight words. But there was nothing simple about it. She knew that. It wasn't as simple as getting them all together and pointing out the obvious. Because every single one of them had a whole bag of baggage and damage that was keeping them in the wrong place. Puck still saw Rachel as Finn's girl. He still wanted to be a family with Beth and Quinn despite the impossibility of that plan. He wanted sophomore year to have counted for something, he needed it to have been about more. So he was sticking with a girl who would never put his happiness first or second or third. Quinn still dreamt about a perfect forever and since Finn was gone, she was chasing that same impossible future with Puck. Rachel missed Finn and for some reason, Sam had basically  _become_ Finn. So after a lot of pushing, she was giving it a shot with Finn 2.0. Which sucked. Because Finn and Rachel never worked. And Sam was awesome when he was himself.

So instead of everyone just  _figuring it the fuck out_ , Santana and Brittany were slowly but surely manipulating everyone into a place where they might figure it out themselves. And that shit was tiring. Picking her moment to drop bitchy, yet subtle digs. Always being attuned to how her friends were reacting to it all. Exhausting.

All of this was done whilst avoiding Hummel and staving off all interference by Sue without giving anything away.

Yeah, Santana planned on nothing but sleep and sex during the honeymoon. Her friends owed her. Big time.

 


	7. Mercedes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I would like to preface this with an apology. I paint Mercedes as a bit of a Psychopath. I needed drama and Mercedes and Kurt do it so well. I rewatched a lot of scenes and decided to go this direction anyways. I've never particularly liked Kurt or Mercedes (I've always thought that the two of them were bullies and couldn't stand the way they treated their fellow victims) and that shines through in this fic. Everything leaves canon completely as of Kurt's chapter and this one. Because despite not particularly liking them, I don't think they're actually evil or that Mercedes really did anything she does in this chapter. I very much played around with canon and timing.
> 
> So before I get a lot of hate, I know, okay? But I needed a villain or two and now I've picked them.
> 
> So if you're not game with all of the above, skip this chapter. If you are, read on! Schuester is next. I just finished his chapter and I think it's my favorite so far.
> 
> Enjoy!

Mercedes Jones was not amused.

Maybe she should back up a bit. It really all started back in Junior year. Mercedes had always known her worth. She had always known just how special she was. She was a little less obvious about it than Berry had been, but she knew how amazing she was. Mercedes Jones was beautiful, intelligent and more talented than everyone she knew. She was more talented than Kurt, all those Cheerihos and Rachel Berry. It was inconceivable that Rachel Berry had attracted the finest male specimens in the school and Mercedes hadn't even been kissed. She had spent many a night with Kurt pondering just what boys liked about Rachel. Even when Berry's popularity had been at an all-time low, she'd still had part of Finn's attention. And all of Puck's.

Puck. Pathetic. Mercedes talked a lot about the few days she'd dated him but there hadn't been much to report. Yes, it had felt great for the school stud to look her way because he needed a popularity booster. But Mercedes wasn't stupid. Puck's attention had never been far from his ex-girlfriend. She giggled for weeks after with Kurt and Tina about his sexual prowess but he'd never actually laid a finger on her.

So it was around that time that she decided Rachel Berry must die.

Obviously Rachel Berry was still breathing. Mercedes hadn't actually planned on killing her. But she did enjoy occasionally stirring shit up for the tiny diva. Any chance to ruin her day was one that Mercedes carefully considered.

When Sam had shown up at McKinley, Mercedes hadn't looked twice. He was good-looking, talented and funny. Which meant that he'd end up on Rachel's arm at some point or another. So Mercedes had been surprised when he'd paired off with Quinn instead. Everyone had nicknamed them "Ken and Barbie" and it had all been totally vomit-inducing. After much heartbreak and passing around, Sam was single and lonely. So Mercedes had taken a closer look. Sam, unlike Finn, managed to stay on top whilst being one of the most-liked students. He was respected whether he was on the football field or in the choir room.

So maybe her feelings for Sam hadn't quite started out romantically. She had figured that she could keep him company and he could boost her popularity. And if having Sam on her arm made them a power couple above even Finn and Rachel? Well that was just the cherry on top.

So it had all started in junior year, or at least the Sam stuff. She'd hated Rachel since sophomore. Though she had to admit that she liked Rachel a lot more these days. That didn't have much to do with the fact that Rachel had failed in every way and was stuck in Lima. Of course it hadn't. After all Mercedes had actually arranged for an audition for her  _friend_. She'd given Rachel a second chance  _and_ encouraged her to date Sam. She was practically a humanitarian.

And Santana was a bitch for accusing her of behaving in a matter that was manipulative instead of altruistic. Who did she think she was anyway? It wasn't like Santana was perfect. She'd been nicknamed Satan for a reason.

Mercedes was perfectly happy with her boyfriend. There was no pressure to do anything that she didn't want. And whatever, nobody needed to know that she still wanted Sam.

So yeah, she was mad. Mercedes liked things a certain way. She had made plans and made sure that everyone fell into place. That didn't make her manipulative. It meant she was organized. She had plans for her life and right now Sam didn't fit into them. She wanted him in seven years, after she'd gotten a few Grammys and starred in at least two movies. She wanted him to become her leading man when it was time for her to settle down. He looked the part and he was talented enough for Hollywood. But he needed to grow up first. He was still a boy. He didn't know where he was headed and Mercedes didn't have time to help him along. So she needed him to keep himself busy until then.

Which is where Rachel came in. Honestly, she was doing home-girl a favor. Rachel hadn't been laid in forever. And she was still grieving over Finn so there was no way she would want to get serious. Mercedes would give credit where it was due; Rachel had grown up. She was an adult now. So was it so wrong for Mercedes to pawn Sam off on her until he'd grown up a bit? Mercedes knew what was up. And Rachel posed zero threat to Mercedes' happily ever after. At the end of the day Sam would come when he was called and Rachel would survive. Sam loved Mercedes. So it was a win-win for everyone.

But the shit that she walked into on her way through Ohio? Not okay. Her plans were quickly falling apart and Mercedes knew that it was Santana's fault. So  _maybe_ she had needed Kurt to pinpoint the source of the problem but she knew now. She didn't know why, but she knew. Sam and Rachel were barely a thing anymore and both were too busy with their  _planning_ partners to care.

Puck and Rachel were nauseating as per usual. Why couldn't they just cut it out already? Mercedes hadn't enjoyed it back in high school and she had zero interest in watching it now. She kind of missed the Finchel days, because at least back then Rachel had known her place; on Finn's arm but never in his head.

But it wasn't  _Puckleberry_ (gag) that she was so upset about. No it was what their spending time together meant for their other halves. Because while Puck was panting after Rachel, Sam was spending time with  _Quinn._

Listen, Quinn had been her friend for a while there. But that was before Sam. Because if Mercedes hated Rachel, she absolutely fucking  _loathed_ Quinn. Rachel might not pose a threat to her endgame with Sam. But Quinn did. Quinn was perfect. She was beautiful and kind and dreamy. And she was perfect for Sam. She always had been. The fact was that if Quinn had been smarter and Finn had left her alone, Sam and Quinn would be married by now. And they'd stay married; happily married. That would  _seriously_ fuck up Mercedes' plans.

"Helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooo!" Santana bellowed, snapping her fingers in her face.

Mercedes' teeth ground together and her nostrils flared as she resisted the urge to punch the bitch out. "What?!"

Santana laughed and Mercedes could feel her blood pressure rising. "Tots, I don't know exactly what you're huffing this time. There is not some great big conspiracy. No one was going to get anything done the way things were going. So I stepped in. I'm not trying to set everyone up. I'm not trying to ruin Kurt's life or yours." Santana's eye narrowed. "What the fuck ever, Jones. This is my wedding. And it's none of your business. So either back off or your invite is going missing in the mail, dig me?"

Yeah Mercedes dug her. And she wasn't going down without a fight. Santana Lopez and Quinn Fabray were not about to screw up her forever with Sam. She had worked too hard and planned too long for things to end this way.

"Crystal clear." She agreed coolly.

It was  _on._

 


	8. Schuester

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider this a peace offering. My reading break ends tomorrow so I have no idea how much time I'll have for non-educational writing. *fingers crossed*
> 
> Here's Schue's perspective. I liked the idea of him observing the new dynamics when he himself has such a rich history with the club. This is Schue's redemptive arc, if you will. He fesses up and he manages to (sort of) undo the sloppy hack job that got rid of the newer glee clubbers. Anyways, I hope you love it.
> 
> Enjoy!

William Schuester had often been accused of being oblivious. Whether it was Sue pointing out his various failings as a teacher or his glee clubbers rebelling against him, he'd heard it enough to consider their point. He wasn't perfect and he was fully willing to admit it, at least now that they'd all had some time and space to properly reflect on their past.

So perhaps he should have listened on the numerous occasions that Rachel pointed out his hypocrisy in the way he pardoned some glee clubbers whilst punishing others. It was no secret that he'd loved Finn like a brother and sometimes stepped over the line in his defense. He wasn't proud of the way he'd treated Rachel, and allowed the others to treat her, in the past.

But he'd apologized for all of that and the two of them now had something of an understanding. She now understood how stressful being a teacher could be. And he now realised, only after having seen her fail, that he'd always been jealous of her. It wasn't until she slouched back into Lima that he realised that he'd secretly always hoped she would fail.

Needless to say, Will had been doing a lot of soul searching in the last few months. He'd done his best to encourage Rachel in all of her endeavors and remind her of her talent. Better late than never. Thankfully as the months went by, he noticed her confidence slowly returning and he knew that her return to Lima was a temporary one. Rachel Berry was a star; she'd just forgotten that for a while.

So he worked on being better. He kept in touch with all of his former students and paid better attention to his current ones. He knew he'd made some mistakes with the class that followed his original glee clubbers. He'd had a hard time letting go of the kids. This had led to him ultimately failing to see the talents and personalities of his new students. Whenever he looked at Marley, Jake and Ryder, he was reminded of Rachel, Puck and Finn. As their love triangle developed he was too struck with the similarities to really advise them. It was during their time at McKinley that he realised that so many things could have gone differently with his original club. As he watched Jake and Marley he was reminded of Rachel and Puck. Unlike Rachel, Marley had chosen a Puckerman.

And that had haunted him ever since. Not in a creepy, overly involved kind of way. But he wondered what might have happened if Rachel and Puck had never broken up, or if they'd gotten back together during junior year. And from there it kind of spit-balled. Because so much of their tenure had been wrought with romantic drama. Not to mention the Nationals disaster when Finn had sung Puck's song and then kissed Rachel.

From all of this introspection he began to finally  _see_ his new students. Because the original club was unique but even the smallest decisions had impacted their lives. He often reflected on a conversation he'd shared with Finn about their new group. Finn had been remarking on the many similarities when Will finally began to see the differences. He saw Marley who was unfailingly kind and fiercely protective of her mother. He saw Ryder who loved to dance and would do anything to make those around him happy. He saw Jake as more than just Puck's brother. But he also recognized the lost, talented boy who desperately needed guidance. And unlike with Puck, Will realised that he was in the position to give it to him.

Despite Sue's claims of having shipped them all off, he kept in contact with those students. Marley and her mother had moved to a small town in California where Marley was attending a public school with focus on the arts. Jake Puckerman had applied for early graduation and was in Chicago at Joffrey with Mike Chang. Ryder Lynn was studying abroad for the year and Unique had returned to Vocal Adrenaline. They were all doing well.

So Will liked to think of himself as reformed. He was more aware of the people around him and actually enjoyed studying those relationship dynamics instead of worrying about it. Many of his former students had flooded into Lima for the upcoming nuptials and he and Emma had invited the former club over for a dinner party. His heart felt full as he watched his former students, now friends, passing his son around. These reunions were few and far between. The last time they'd all been together had been a few months after Finn's passing. But healing had happened and his ragtag family were starting to move on.

"Pretty sweet party, Schue." Will looked away from Daniel and smiled at Noah Puckerman.

"It's good to see you, Puck." He accepted a quick hug from his former pupil before stepping back to really look at him. "No uniform?"

Puck chuckled and ran a hand over his head self-consciously. "Yeah, Rach said she'd burn it if I didn't wear something else." He screwed up his face playfully. " _Noah! You look very smart in your uniform but you're on leave! I'm sure you'd be much more comfortable in some jeans!"_ Puck's squeaky imitation of Rachel petered out as Rachel appeared out of nowhere and pinched his arm. Puck merely howled in amusement.

Will bit his lip and fought to keep from laughing. For a second he was sure that she would stomp her foot. But Rachel wasn't 15 anymore. She settled for shaking her head even as her own amusement betrayed her. She muttered something under her breath before turning away from Puck and gushing to Will about baby Daniel.

"Yes, he's almost 2!" He answered, attentive to the dynamics of the two in front of him. Even as she conversed with Will, she was locked in a battle of pinches with Puck. Some things never changed. He looked away as Rachel giggled fiercely at something Puck had said. His eyes found Quinn and Sam across the room where the two of them were fawning over Daniel. Quinn was tickling his son while Sam made funny faces and performed his best impressions.

"They're kind of perfect, aren't they?" Rachel sighed beside him.

Will's attention shot back to the tiny brunette who was also watching Sam and Quinn. He noticed that Puck had disappeared before focusing on Rachel. There was something kind of sad about the way she watched the former couple but Will couldn't quite put his finger on it. The obvious answer would be that Sam and Rachel had recently entered into some form of a relationship. But Rachel didn't seem jealous or upset. Perhaps she missed Finn. Or she too wondered why the two of them weren't together.

"You okay, Rachel?" He asked when he had run out of possible conclusions. She smiled sadly once more as Quinn and Sam coerced a giggle out of Daniel before turning to answer Will.

"Yes. Of course." He was once again struck by just how much she had grown in the past few years. He didn't know her well enough to understand the subtext, although honestly few did. He opened his mouth to reply when Puck returned with a drink in each hand, one of which he handed to Rachel. He amended his last thought as he watched Puck pull Rachel into their own world.

Puck understood Rachel. He always had.

Will moved away from the former couple and found Emma in the kitchen with Brittany and Santana. He helped them carry all of the dishes out to the table and then he sat down and watched as the chips fell. Quinn took a seat next to Daniel's chair and Sam sat down beside her. He laughed quietly as Emma handed Daniel's dinner to Quinn which she and Sam began to eagerly attend to. Puck and Rachel drifted in from the other room and sat together beside Blaine and Santana. The others filed in and the dinner began. He sat quietly watching the changing dynamics as the group dug in and began catching up. He noticed that none of the couples were sitting together save for the brides-to-be. Kurt and Mercedes were sitting at the end of the long table and neither looked particularly happy to be there. Blaine and Puck were recounting a story from fight club rather comically and dramatically to Rachel who was laughing more than eating. Mike was showing Brittany a new dance move despite them both being seated. Tina was watching Mike with wide eyes as she whispered frantically to a startled Artie.

He laughed despite himself. The more things changed, the more things stayed the same. They could be sitting in the choir room four years ago and it would all be very similar. A gurgle caught his attention and he saw that Daniel had spit up on his tray. Before he or Emma could move, Quinn had already lifted him from his highchair. She carried his son away from the table to his nursery with Sam trailing after her. He snuck a peak at their respective partners and noticed that both Puck and Rachel wore that same sad smile.

Yes, some things seemed to be the same. But he had to say it; his glee clubbers had certainly lost some of their drama over the years. Five years ago there would have been tears and shouts of betrayal. But as he watched Rachel and Puck look down that hallway, he was proud of them.

And for the first time in a long time, he believed that all of them would be okay.

 


	9. Sam

The sound of footfalls pounding pavement roused Sam momentarily from his thoughts. He nodded approval as the football team rounded the track beside him and started another lap. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees as the boys passed out of sight and once again out of mind. The sun shone brightly for such a cold day and Sam squinted as his eyes settled on the bleachers across the field.

" _It's so weird to be back here!" Brittany chimed as she wandered through the halls with Sam. "I know I haven't been gone long, but there are memories everywhere!"_

_Sam shrugged in agreement. Sometimes it felt like he'd never really left. He kept pace with Brittany as she dragged him down memory lane._

" _That's the locker that Puck bent out of shape defending Rachel during sophomore! And that's where I first saw Quinn smile up at you!"_

_There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to Brit's recollections, though he'd have to be dumb not to notice the pattern forming. He followed her outside and up onto the bleachers. She chose her seat very carefully and patted the cold metal seat next to her._

" _What's so special about this spot, Brit?" He knew they'd come out here for a reason. It was much too cold to be sitting on cold metal bleachers without prior intentions._

_Brittany hummed peacefully. "This place has witnessed the very best parts of my very favourite love story. It's witnessed some of the worst parts too!"_

Sam had assumed that Brit had been talking about herself and Santana. They'd left shortly after the conversation and met with their friends at Breadsticks. The conversation had flown from his mind after the dramatic meal and the tensions that surrounded them all. But as he sat there and stared up at the cool metal seating, memories of his own flashed through his head.

" _Aren't you gonna watch me play, San?" Sam whined as the former cheerleader dressed quickly._

" _From the stands?" She snorted. "Baby, nothing in this world could make me sit on those cold ass bleachers."_

Obviously Santana's feelings for Sam had never come close to the way she'd felt about Brit, but he was certain he'd heard her bitching about those bleachers on more than one occasion. He also knew from his tour with Brit that the janitor's closet on the third floor was "where Brittana lived and breathed."

He shook his head and blew the whistle, calling the boys in from their run. He watched as they ran through their drills for the day but he found that his gaze kept falling back upon the bleachers.

" _Hey, San. Have you seen Puck?" Sam asked Santana, stopping by her locker. "He was supposed to meet me for study block and he didn't show."_

_Santana was digging through her purse, elbows deep in lady stuff and huffing in irritation. "He and Karofsky got into it during lunch."_

" _Shit, he didn't get in trouble, did he? He's still on probation." Sam worried, glancing around the halls for a sign of his friend._

_Santana snorted. "Berry handled it. Started making threats and spouting legal shit." She pulled a tube of lip gloss from her purse victoriously and began applying it to her lips with the help of her locker mirror. "He's on the bleachers. He always goes there when he's upset."_

Sam's head tilted in confusion as he considered his last memory. That had only been the first time he'd found his friend on the bleachers. A torrent of frozen moments cascaded through his mind. The bleachers had been Puck's place. He'd realised over his time at McKinley that Santana hadn't quite covered it. Puck went to the bleachers whenever he was feeling much of  _anything_. Happy, angry, sad, confused, scared etc. It was where he thought best.

So maybe he and Quinn were the ones Brit had been talking about. Sam ignored the pang located somewhere deep inside his chest at that thought.

"Um, coach?"

Sam startled and glanced over at one of the boys who was angling for his attention. Embarrassed at having been caught daydreaming, Sam cleared his throat and smiled apologetically. "Yeah?"

"Mind letting us go? I'm all for extra practice but I don't wanna be late for Glee."

Glee, right. Sam checked his watch and realised they'd run over by twenty minutes. "Sorry, tell Rachel it was my fault. You guys are dismissed. Great practice."

The guys packed up all of the gear and soon he was left standing alone on the field. He pulled out his phone and texted Rachel to apologize for holding back some of her students.

Rachel. Sam's nose crinkled in concentration as he felt a memory  _just_  alluding him. He brushed the hair out of his face and then froze in place.

_Sam and Rachel sat in the choir room waiting for Glee to begin. He was strumming his guitar intently as Rachel guessed what song he was playing. She was 10 for 10 when Finn came into the room with a scowl on his face. Rachel's smile disappeared as she took in Finn's irritated state._

" _Finn? Are you alright?" She wondered aloud, after several moments of Finn stewing silently._

" _Sure. Just got into it with Puck." He huffed. Sam continued to play quietly, trying not to look too interested._

" _Noah?" Rachel questioned, her voice taking an almost breathy tone._

" _Don't worry about it, Rachel. We'll be fine. We always are." Finn told her as he fiddled with his cell phone. "He'll be late for Glee though, I bet." This caught Sam's attention and he glanced up. "No doubt still pouting out on that damn bleacher of his."_

_Sam watched as a faint blush covered Rachel's cheeks. Biting her lip, Rachel looked almost ashamed._

Sam plopped back down onto the bench.

Sam was uncomfortable. His skin was itchy and his collar felt too tight. He didn't really like Breadsticks. He also felt sort of like he was on a date. And this was definitely not supposed to be a date.

"I remember the service being better here." Mercedes complained loudly as a server passed by their table.

Sam could feel his ears turning red in embarrassment as the poor guy hurried over the bar and conversed with  _their_  server. He was seriously regretting agreeing to meet Mercy for dinner.

"I'm sorry, are you ready to order?" Their server Lina asked breathlessly, having hurried over.

"No worries, yeah I think so?" He looked over at Mercedes who was glaring down at her menu. "Mercy?"

Mercedes glanced up at Lina. "Do you have any gluten-free options?"

Lina's smile held firm despite the cold tone that Mercedes used in addressing her. "Yes! All of the gluten-free options are marked next to the menu item."

Sam glanced at his own menu and saw what she was talking about. It was pretty clear.

Mercedes huffed and gave the menu another glance. "What about dairy-free? Dairy isn't good for my voice."

Sam watched as Lina's smile quivered with the effort of keeping it there. "All of those options are also labeled. We have quite a good selection. The owner is lactose intolerant and so he believes it's important to have menu items that-"

"Whatever." Mercedes interrupted rudely. And Lina's smile faltered.

"I'm so sorry, Lina. I think we might need a few more minutes." Sam shot her his best smile, eyes silently apologizing for his companion.

"Of course, I'll be back in a few."

Sam sighed as he watched the poor girl practically sprint back to the bar.

"Was that necessary?" Sam asked as Mercedes continued to study her menu.

"What?" Mercedes replied. "It's not my fault that the service here sucks."

Sam stared at her. "I thought she was nice. And it's not her fault that we weren't ready."

Mercedes mumbled under her breath and Sam decided to ignore the decidedly not-nice things he thought he was hearing.

Lina came back and Mercedes thankfully, politely ordered.

"How's the tour going?" He asked.

She immediately began gushing about her new music and her manager. He found his concentration slipping after several minutes. His mind was back on the bleachers.

"Sam? Hellllloooooo."

His head snapped up and he noticed that Mercedes was not happy with him. "Sorry, Mercy. A lot on my mind."

A pout settled firmly on her lips and he found himself staring. She had always been so pretty. He remembered the first time he'd kissed her and –

"Yeah, I've noticed. A lot's happened since I was here last." She batted her eyelashes at him and he looked away uncomfortably. She had a boyfriend and he had  _something._

His eyes widened as he remembered Mercy's penchant for gossip. She'd been there for all of Glee club, way before he got there. "What's the deal with the bleachers, Mercy?"

If she was confused by his sudden change in subject, she didn't let on. "The bleachers at McKinley?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, what can you tell me about them, um, gossip-wise?"

Mercedes laughed, God, he'd loved that sound once. "Like who got down and dirty beneath them? Not as many people as you'd think. And you know all about how the Skanks used to hang out down there. While Quinn did her Tour de Skank, anyways."

Sam felt himself bristling at the cold way that Mercedes had mentioned Quinn's breakdown during senior year. Her "Tour de Skank" had been a cry for help and it wasn't funny at all.

"Puck's the one to ask, Sam. He practically lived on those bleachers during high school. He was out there like once a day, rain, snow or shine. I saw him there once late at night when I was out with Shane. He had a bottle of somethin' and he was  _not_ interested in talking."

Sam nodded thoughtfully as his dinner was placed in front of him. Mercedes was loudly complaining about some aspect of her meal when he interrupted her with more questions. "So it was like Puck's place, right? I remember him spending a ton of time there but he was usually alone. Did he ever, you know, take girls there?"

Mercedes pushed her food around her plate with a frown before answering. "Nope. Never. Well no one other than Rachel. It was more their place than his. I don't know why. It's where she dumped him during sophomore. But they always ended up there when they were having one of their "moments"."

Sam swallowed his food painfully, his throat suddenly dry. "Moments?"

Mercedes actually snorted into her meal. "Come on, Sam. I know you were kind of busy during high school," What did that even  _mean?_ "But there's no way you missed all of that Puckleberry action."

Sam placed his fork on the table and thought back on his time at McKinley. Pushing aside his own dramas and Finchel, he saw things a lot differently. He saw a little girl with big dreams being dwarfed by the thoughtlessness of her popular boyfriend. He noticed a young man with a Mohawk always waiting in the wings, despite hating himself for it. He remembered Finn using Puck's song at Nationals only now he saw it as a betrayal because the song had been written for Rachel in the first place but not by him. He remembered Puck getting drunk the day of the wedding that didn't happen.

He snapped out of it as he realised that Mercy was talking again. "Homeboy's wanted in Rachel's panties since Jewish Sunday school."

Sam's lips pressed together. No it was more than that. He remembered what had happened in junior year. It had never been about sex for Puck.

Puck had loved Rachel. He probably, no he definitely, still did.

But what about Quinn?

Sam flopped onto his bed and buried his face into his pillow. It had been a long ass day.

He prayed for sleep to take him but he knew that it wasn't going to happen. Too much had happened, too much had been realised. And now he had more questions than before.

He rolled onto his back and sighed as he thought about the women in his life. He'd been accused of whoring around and his record didn't look particularly clean at this point. He'd dated Quinn, Santana, Mercedes, Brittany, Tina and Rachel. Not that he really counted Tina, but they'd made out so it was best to mention her.

He wanted to be irritated with Brittany for bringing all of this up for him. He knew better than to believe she'd said or done any of it randomly. There was always a greater plan with her. But he couldn't be mad at Brittany. It just wasn't done. So instead he decided to lay back and figure out exactly why she'd told him what she had.

Tina was easy. Not easy as in she had no virtue. Easy as in it was easy to realise why the two of them had hooked up. Change was difficult and both of them were coming off some bad breakups and sometimes an itch is an itch and it needs to be scratched.

Santana fell into a similar category. There had never been love there. Not romantic love any way. She'd needed a beard, though he knew she'd cared about him in  _some_ way. And he'd needed a rebound as he dealt with Quinn and Finn's betrayal.

Brittany had been one of the best things to happen to him. Maybe it hadn't been true love and he wasn't sad to see her with Santana anymore. He cared about her and he'd learned so much about himself when he was with her. No regrets.

That left him with the more complicated women in his life; Rachel, Quinn and Mercedes. He wasn't sure where to even begin with them.

Rationally he should start with Quinn. She was his first…everything really. They'd broken up years ago, so she shouldn't be complicated. They were over. Only they weren't.

Then there was Mercy. He had thought for a while there that she was it for him. He'd trailed after her like a puppy dog. He was still ashamed of the way he'd pursued her, not once but twice, while she had a boyfriend. He cared about her, that he was sure of. But they didn't seem to bring out the best in each other. She'd been so rude to that poor waitress tonight and the way she'd flirted with him wasn't fair, honestly. She had a boyfriend and Sam had a  _something._

Rachel was special. He'd known that the moment he'd met her. More talent in her eyes than the rest of the world put together, she shone. She was so  _shiny_ it hurt to look at her sometimes. Like looking into the sun. After his break up with Quinn, he'd really begun to see just how special Rachel was. She was flawed, but she wasn't given enough credit either. She knew her flaws and she owned up to them. She'd grown more in the time he'd known her than anyone else he'd ever met. She was  _special._

Mercy was the future he'd planned on. He had been willing to drop everything and love her forever. But the more he thought about it, the less he seemed to want that future.

Rachel was the future he'd wanted to want. She was kind and beautiful and so, so,  _so_ special. How could he possibly pass up the chance to be with someone like Rachel Berry?

Quinn. Quinn was everything he'd always wanted and had been forced to forget about at the tender age of 16. She was imperfect and selfish and mean. She made big mistakes and fought dirty. She tore Puck down like it was her mission in life and she was so damn thoughtless it was painful to watch. But she also cried sometimes over the little things; hallmark cards, YouTube videos, lyrics, and children playing with their parents in the park. She brought lunch for him when they were planning and knew exactly how he liked his coffee. She went twenty minutes out of her way to buy a gift card for the homeless man downtown so that he'd be able to buy food at the café beside his alley. She was the woman who mailed a sample of Puck's lyrics to studios outside of Ohio because she felt bad for insulting his music during a fight. She was deeply,  _deeply_ flawed and he loved her all the more for it.

Quinn. Quinn was everything he'd always wanted and had been forced to forget about at the tender age of 16. And it would seem that nothing had changed. She was the best part of his day, even on the days where he only talked to her via text.

Mercy was the future he'd planned on, Rachel was the woman he  _should_ want.

Quinn was the one he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So things are starting to come to a head. I know everyone probably wants to hear from Rachel and Puck but we're getting there. There is still a plan and a timeline(ish). Please let me know what you thought? Reviews inspire, friends. Thanks for reading


	10. Santana and Brit vs. Sue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Santana and Brittany square off with Sue Sylvester over the end of Klaine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know it's been two years. But I'm focusing on this story right now. I want to clear up my unfinished stories. I know this chapter is short, but the next chapter is written and will be added tonight.

“Lopez! Pierce!” Sue’s sharp voice boomed behind them as they walked down the halls of McKinley hand in hand after school.

Santana blew out a long breath before the two women turned to face their former Cheerleading coach. Sue was wearing a bright purple tracksuit and she looked furious. Brit gripped Santana’s hand a little tighter as they waited for her to continue.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” Sue demanded as she stepped right into their space.

Santana raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. “We’re walking down the hallway, Coach. What does it look like we’re doing?”

Coach huffed a derisive laugh. “It looks like you’re messing with the masterpiece that I worked so hard on!”

Santana rolled her eyes. “Masterpiece?”

Sue narrowed her eyes as they played dumb. “The teenage gay love affair! I put a lot of work into getting them back together. And then you two harlots broke them up again!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sylvester, but-“

“Coach to you!” Sue interrupted.

Santana smirked at her. “Not anymore, _Sue_. As I was saying, we have nothing to do with that.”

Sue huffed in disbelief. “Yeah right. So, everyone is just breaking up and patching things up with their old exes? You’re saying it’s not your manipulative fingers in the pot?”

Brittany grinned. “It’s love! They’re all so floaty on our love bubbles that they can’t help themselves!”

Sue blinked at the blonde. Santana choked back a laugh.

“And honestly, Coach. Kurt doesn’t even _love_ Blaine. He’s always cheating on him. And with all the love going around, of course they broke up! They couldn’t keep up.” Brittany explained slowly as if Sue’s intelligence was in question.

Santana honestly thought maybe Sue had a screw or two looser than when they’d attended McKinley. Seriously, who would ever look at Blaine and Kurt and think they were soulmates? Sue must have been trying to spend her one good deed of the decade before she ran out of time.

“I don’t believe you!” Sue roared after several moments of stunned silence. “This whole thing stinks of you two!”

Santana’s smirk widened. “Maybe they just saw a happy couple and realised they weren’t one. Don’t you have lives to ruin or something, Sylvester? You tried matchmaking and you failed. Move on.”

“Besides!” Brittany remarked. “You were always telling me we dated around too much. This is the first time we’ve all been together in a long time. We were due for a breakup or two.”

Sue glared at the blonde before turning on her heel and stomping back towards her office. Santana could just make out her muttering “Should have infected the little bastards when I had the chance.”

Santana jumped when Brit started giggling loudly. “She’s still so strange!”

San kissed Brit on the cheek and led them in the opposite direction. They walked aimlessly for a few minutes before they spoke again.

“Things are coming along very nicely, San!” Brit said with a happy smile lighting up her face. “Lord Tubbington will be so pleased!”

Santana squeezed her hand in reply.

“Did you see Tina staring at Mike at Mr. Schuester’s?” Brit wondered.

Santana groaned. “Oh, I noticed. Artie’s face was gold. Don’t you worry, Brit. That won’t be happening.”

“My plan for Blaine is working out! I can’t tell you though, it’s a surprise.” Brit admitted as they wandered back outside.

Santana was curious by nature but she trusted Brit. She sighed in contentment, enjoying the afternoon with her fiancé, free of drama.

 


	11. Rachel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel and Noah finally clear the air.

Rachel hummed along as she watched Noah strum his guitar. This song had always held special meaning for the two of them. She would never forget the day they performed it in Glee. It had started as a means to make Finn jealous, but as they sang the lyrics together Rachel had realised how poignant and true they were. Noah had always been there for her. He had never asked for anything in return. Despite his rejection after their breakup, he had always been her friend. Often at great cost to his own happiness.

If only her head and heart hadn’t been so full of Finn.

Rachel often found herself embarrassed when she thought back on their time at McKinley. She had been obsessed, single-minded in her pursuit of Finn that she never really thought about how happy he made her. Never thought about how unhappy they made those around them. She had savagely broken up happy couples and pursued Finn when he was not single. And Finn had been guilty of the same.

She had loved Finn. Of course, she had. He was kind and funny and _hers_. At least when he wasn’t someone else’s. He was often someone else’s.

She knew that the two of them wouldn’t have ended up together. Time and space apart had taught her that much. But she had loved him. And for at least a little while, he’d loved her too. Knowing that did nothing to ease the pain of his death. He had died so young, before he’d had the chance to fulfill his potential. He’d died before he’d even had a chance to really live.

As she looked over at the man playing through their song list, she wondered if things would have, should have, ended up differently if only she’d paid a little more attention in high school. Time and space had also given her insight into why he had followed her every whim when they were young. Noah had loved her, in ways that Finn was simply to young to. It wasn’t until she was in New York and Noah was no longer a part of her every day that she realised just how much she’d depended on him. It didn’t take long after that realisation and analyzing their every interaction that she realised how he’d felt.

She liked to think that had she known how he felt during school, she would have been more careful with him. Gentler with his heart. He might have seemed strong and unbreakable, but he hadn’t been. And she knew how many times she’d been careless, too busy chasing after Finn to see him for the casualty he’d become. Their friendship had fallen by the wayside because it made Finn uncomfortable. She had walked away from Noah when he had needed her most. Where had she been while he was mourning his fatherhood? Where had she been the night he could take no more and landed in juvenile hall? Why had she not offered to help him when his graduation was on the line? Or when his father came back into his life just long enough to muddy up Noah’s future.

She was so proud of the man he’d grown into. She couldn’t help, however, feeling sad that she had missed the last parts of his journey. She hadn’t spoken with him in the long months that followed her arrival in New York. Nor had she spent any time with him at Will’s botched wedding. She’d been too busy vacillating between Brody and Finn to notice her friend hovering on the sidelines.

He had always been on the sidelines.

And now he was with Quinn. And he was desperately unhappy. She had spent some time in quiet contemplation, watching the two of them interact before the wedding planning started. She had seen the always-present resentment in Quinn’s eyes. She had watched as Noah’s hazel eyes dulled as he withdrew from his girlfriend.

She ached for them. Their relationship had risen from the ashes of Finn’s death. But unlike the Phoenix, they continued to crash and burn. She wondered sometimes why they hadn’t walked away. Why would they willingly stay with someone that hurt them?

Rachel sighed. She was hardly one to talk. She and Sam had a very amiable relationship. He had never raised his voice with her or uttered an unkind word. He was handsome and he made her laugh.

Sometimes he reminded her of Finn a little. Just little things, like how earnest he was when he wanted something. How he thought that singing was a cure for all that ailed. How he was addicted to grilled cheese.

Rachel could admit, if only to herself, that those similarities had drawn her to Sam. But she had stayed with him because he was unerringly kind. She stayed because he loved to hear her laugh.

But Sam didn’t love her. And she didn’t love him. They were together because they were lonely and because they needed to hold onto something familiar.

She sat down at the piano and Noah put down his guitar and joined her on the bench. She watched his talented fingers plays a melody that was unfamiliar to her.

“This is lovely, Noah. You always were so talented at writing your own music.” She complimented him, and he looked startled as he met her gaze. His eyes searched hers and she nodded with a smile.

Noah turned back to his music. “I didn’t think you knew.”

Rachel nudged him fondly with her shoulder. “I suspected. Finn was many things but a gifted songwriter was not one of them.”

Noah cleared his throat. “When did you figure it out for real?”

Rachel hummed softly to the melody as she thought over her answer. “Around the time that I realised how hurtful I had been towards you during high school.”

Noah stilled for a split second before he continued playing. He slipped seamlessly into ‘Sweet Caroline’ though Rachel suspected it was an unconscious decision.

He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “We were kids, Berry.”

Rachel nibbled on her bottom lip as she considered dropping the line of thought. But his shoulders had a tense set to them. Maybe it was time to clear the air.

“That doesn’t excuse my actions.” She steeled her resolve before continuing. “I didn’t see how you felt for me.” He hit a discordant note and ceased playing. His jaw clenched as he tried to meet her gaze.

“Thought it was pretty obvious.” He replied, eyes on her forehead.

Rachel shot him a sad smile. “Perhaps it was. But I was too busy to notice. I’m sorry, Noah.”

He met her eyes briefly, just long enough for her to see the sadness in them. “Nothing to be sorry about. I wanted you and you wanted Finn. That was the story of my life.”

Rachel studied the side of his face, his gaze on the piano keys.

“That doesn’t make it better. If I had been less selfish and paid more attention to those around me,” She sighed. “I’d like to think I would have done things differently.”

Noah’s lips lifted in a sarcastic smile. “You were Finn’s girl. I knew that then and I know it now.”

Rachel’s eyebrows furrowed. “Noah.” She waited several long moments until he met her eyes, though he appeared to struggle holding it. “Finn may have been my high school boyfriend. I loved him very much. And I know that it took a long while for me to figure it out, but I stopped being his ‘girl’ the moment he put me on that train.”

Noah searched her face. “Because he died?”

Tears stung her eyes. “No, Noah.” He reached out and brushed away a tear that had fallen. “Because Finn was Lima and I was New York. I know I’m back here right now, but it’s not where I’m meant to be. I will always miss him, but he wasn’t the one for me.”

Noah blinked away his surprise and turned back to his playing. “Okay.”

Rachel nodded definitively next to him. “Okay.”


	12. The Talk (Puck)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puck thinks things over. And he and Quinn talk.

Puck watched as Rachel flounced away from him, instantly missing the swish of the skirts she had worn back in high school. She turned and glanced at him over her shoulder and grinned before opening her car and getting in. He stood there as she pulled out of her parking spot and then onto the road.

Damn but she was even more beautiful than she’d been the last time he’d seen her. He wouldn’t have thought it was possible. But there she was with a more mature, but still very _Rachel_ look about her. Her smile was still brighter than the stars and her legs still went for miles.

Singing with her was a fucking dream. He was quickly becoming addicted to it. She had somehow gotten better and he was in awe every time she joined him during their practices. Her notes were crisper and her range had broadened.

Rachel Berry had grown up.

She was less frantic and more relaxed. She was happy to share the spotlight. He noticed that she didn’t speak out as quickly as she once had, content to sit back and enjoy the conversation around her.

Sometimes it was all he could do not to stare at her. She was the moon and he was the ocean. Time hadn’t changed the control she held over his tides. She moved and he moved with her. Or maybe she was the sun. The point around which his world spun on.

There was a song in there somewhere.

Puck trekked not towards his truck, but back around the school. He climbed the familiar bleachers and watched as the football team was coached by Sam. They didn’t look half-bad. Better than their teams had been in school, that was for sure. They sprinted through their drills as Sam stood by with a clipboard and whistle.

Sam; he tried not to resent his old friend. He’d been good to Puck over the years. And he knew that he couldn’t pull the guy code out because Puck was dating his ex as well. But knowing that did little to comfort him as he thought about Sam and Rachel together.

Sam was a good guy. And Rachel deserved a good guy. She had put up with a lot of bullshit over the years. Between Finn stringing her along and that Brody dude banging other chicks for money. Puck’s knuckles popped as he thought about it. If that dick had given Rachel something, Puck would have torn him apart.

Then again, he knew Rachel hadn’t been blameless. Not with either guy. She’d slept with Finn while Brody waited for her in New York. And she’d done a lot of scheming to get Finn while in school.

But fuck, Puck still loved everything about her. And he didn’t doubt for a second that she was with Sam because they were both lonely and he sometimes did things that reminded her of Finn. The good things at least. Sam was better than Finn had been. He was less selfish, more kind.

So why did Puck want to blacken his eye?

Puck moped on the bleachers for another hour before deciding he’d put off going home for long enough. He shook his head as he got into his truck. It wasn’t his home. It was Quinn’s apartment.

He couldn’t help but think back on what Rachel had said during practice. The way his chest and shoulders had suddenly felt looser, like a weight had been lifted. The sad smile on her red lips as she had acknowledged how he’d felt for her back in school.

She didn’t seem to understand that nothing had changed. If anything, he’d missed and loved her more with a little distance. And wasn’t that just a kick in the teeth? He and Quinn wanted to kill each other whether they were in the same room or in different states. As he trudged up the steps to Quinn’s apartment he knew what he had to do.

It didn’t matter that Rachel thought he’d gotten over her. It didn’t matter that she was with Sam. Well, it mattered a little.

But he and Quinn were kidding themselves. Nothing they did now would give them another shot with Beth. They would never be happy together. Beth was happy and healthy and beautiful. And Shelby was a great mother.

He knocked on the door and when she opened the door they just stared at each other. As she stepped aside to let him in, he knew they both knew why he was there.

In the end their break-up was easier than their relationship had been. As Puck sat and drank a cup of coffee across the table from Quinn, he felt good about his decision.

“Do you think it’s strange that we don’t live together?” Quinn asked, starting the conversation they both knew was needed. “That we said forever and yet we never took that step?”

Puck tapped his nail against the mug in his hands. “Did you really ever believe we were soulmates, Q?”

Puck saw the shame on her face before she’d even opened her mouth to reply. “Losing Finn,” She paused, looking away. “It changed everything. It changed everyone. And maybe I didn’t think he was my happy ending at that point, but it hurt so much. Everyone was pairing up and,“ She wiped away a tear. “I didn’t want to be alone anymore.”

Puck brushed a tear from her cheek. “But did you really want me? Or just someone.”

Quinn met his gaze and he had his answer. “I needed something, someone familiar. I wanted Sam and you wanted Rachel. But she was grieving and he still wanted Mercedes. And,” She choked on a sob. “And I knew you’d end up with Rachel and I didn’t want to be alone.”

She seemed to be waiting for his anger, but it didn’t come. “She told me she wasn’t Finn’s girl. But you knew that, didn’t you?”

She nodded, tears falling quickly now. “I’m sorry. I am.”

Puck rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you love me Quinn? Are you happy?”

Quinn wiped furiously at her tears. “I should love you forever. We have a child together and history. And you’re a good man. It should be easy.” She climbed into his lap and buried her face in his shoulder. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“But you don’t.” It wasn’t a question and she knew it.

“No,” Her answer was muffled by his shirt. “I don’t.”

He rubbed a hand down her back as she cried. “I know, Q. I wanted to make this work. I really tried.”

She cried harder, leaning back and wiping a hand across her face. “I know you did. I didn’t make it easy but you tried so hard.”

They sat for a while as Quinn cried herself out, whispering apologies between sobs. When the tears had stopped, Puck brushed the blonde hair away from her face and pressed his lips to her forehead. “I love you, Q. But not the way I should. I want more than this. I want to be with someone I’m not always fighting with. Don’t you think we deserve that?”

She nodded, pressing her cheek against his chest. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, Q. But I think we need to stop forcing this.”

“I know.” She whispered.

He held her as the reality of their choice fell around them. And for the first time in a long time, they didn’t fight.


	13. Audition (Blaine)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brittany sets up an audition for Blaine.

Blaine answered the phone as he walked through LAX. The crowds were thick but his excitement carried him through the travellers around him.

“Hey, Brit. I just landed. What’s up?” Blaine adjusted his duffel bag as he waited for Brittany to reply.

“Good! Your audition is tomorrow at 3 pm. Just memorise the monologue and you’ll nail it. They also wanted a song. You have the music for ‘Cough Syrup’?” Brit spoke very quickly in his ear. He could tell how excited she was.

“Yes, Brit. I have everything. Now are you going to tell me what this mystery show is?” He flagged a cab and got into the backseat. “One sec, Brit.” He smiled at the cab driver. “The Standard Hotel in Hollywood, please.”

The cabbie nodded and pulled smoothly into traffic. “Go ahead, Brit.”

“Oh, you’re going to love the Standard! It’s very old Hollywood. It’s so you. I looked up the pictures before I booked it.” Brit chattered.

Blaine chuckled. “Nice change of subject, Brit. Though not as smooth as usual.”

Brittany laughed. “You’ll see. You just have to be patient and go to the address I gave you. I _will_ tell you that the show doesn’t film in Hollywood.”

Blaine huffed. “You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you? Just go to Hollywood she said. Walk into a strange building for your ‘audition’ she said. And he was never heard from again.”

Loud giggling erupted over the phone line and Blaine joined in. It had been a long time since he had felt so good. He’d had a lot of fun catching up with his friends and keeping Brittany busy for the last few weeks. It startled him to realise he had barely thought of Kurt since they broke up.

“Trust me. You deserve this. And you’ll nail it. Call me after, okay?”

Blaine promised and put his phone back in his pocket. He watched the hills roll past and basked in the warm sunlight shining on his through the window. He hoped he had some time to go to the beach while he was here. Brittany had insisted on booking the room for a week and the return flight just a day before the rehearsal dinner. His curiosity was driving him crazy but he trusted Brittany. His phone pinged in his pocket.

_From: Sam_

_Dude, how plush is the hotel?_

Blaine laughed and pocketed his phone again. He’d text his friend back once he was there.

* * *

The Standard Hotel was in fact, very _plush_. Whoever had designed the hotel was Blaine’s style icon. He wouldn’t change a thing. As he laid back on the gorgeous bed after an amazing dinner, he grinned at the ceiling. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve a friend like Brit. She absolutely refused to allow him to pay for the trip. He knew that her parents were loaded, but he still wished she’d let him pay.

_“Blaine, this is my wedding gift.” Brit told him, hands on her hips._

_He chuckled. “Brit, I’m supposed to give_ you _one of those, not the other way around.”_

_She shook her head at him. “Nope. This is my gift. So, you better enjoy it.”_

He wasn’t sure how much enjoyment he was getting as he got out of the taxi and stared up at the building the audition was held in. His stomach was fluttering nervously and he was worried he might vomit. Show choir and musicals were one thing. But TV? Not to mention the fact that he didn’t know what show Brit had set up an audition for.

He paid the taxi driver and adjusted the shoulder strap of his bag. He had packed it very carefully that morning. He knew his script and music were in there. He still twitched as he forced himself not to triple-check. It was too late now if he’d forgotten anything. Taking a deep fortifying breath, Blaine straightened his spine and walked into the building. His brow furrowed as he entered a busy holding area. There were several other young men sitting around, reading through their pages. One of them was the guy from Teen Wolf. The one Kurt liked so much. As he sat down in the corner, he glanced around and realised that he recognized quite a few of them. He was in a room of already established TV actors.

Maybe he was in the wrong building? He checked his phone and saw that he was in the right room. A thin older woman walked into the space and every head was suddenly turned her way. She smiled and opened her arms dramatically.

“Thank you all for joining us today. This is a three-part audition. You will be asked to sing for us. If we feel that you are a good fit for the part, we will ask you to read the unrelated script we provided. And if you really impress us, we will ask you to read opposite our lead.” She clapped her hands together. “Any questions?”

No one moved. She laughed and read the first name on a clipboard she pulled from behind the desk she stood next to. “Alex Richards.”

A young man approximately Blaine’s age stood and followed her into the room. As the doors closed behind her, a few actors began grumbling. One had his phone out and was dialing. He placed the phone to his ear and was growling at the person on the other line. “You told me that the musical portion of this gig was small, Devin! They’re starting with the singing. And you know I won’t make it past that. Why am I even paying you?” The young man stomped out of the room and Blaine was surprised to see three others follow. He wondered how many had thought that the singing wouldn’t be a huge part of the audition.

“It’s not even a musical show!” He heard one complain as he walked out the door.

Blaine opened his mouth to ask exactly _which_ show this was, but the man was already gone and everyone else had turned their attention back to their scripts. He sat quietly, watching others come and go for about an hour before his name was called. He noted that all but one had been in the audition room less than five minutes. They must not have passed the singing.

He took a deep breath and followed the director into the other room. He paused on the makeshift stage, blinded by the lights shining in his face. The director had disappeared into the chairs just out of his sightline. He handed his CD to a young woman who was working the soundboard. He rolled his neck and shoulder, trying to relax.

He had one note to prompt him to start singing. He smiled and closed his eyes as the familiar song took him away, to the stage he’d first performed it on. As he took the second verse he opened his eyes and held onto the microphone in front of him. He could only see the shapes of the people watching him. The stage lights were too bright, but they comforted him. He knew this. He had lived on a stage during high school.

As the last note ended, the room was silent. His grin held, still high on performing.

“You’re very talented, Mr. Anderson.” The Director remarked from the shadows. “Easily the best singer we’ve had all day.” He heard shuffling paper before she continued. “It says here on your CV that you play several instruments. Is that true or just filler?”

Blaine chuckled at her blunt question. “I play piano, guitar, drums and saxophone. I dabble in others, but not well enough to mention.”

He heard murmurings that suggested there were several people in the room.

A new voice popped up. “And if we asked you to place for us right now?”

Blaine looked around, seeing a piano sitting to the side of the stage. “I could play for you if you’d like.”

He heard the man chuckle. “No, your willingness speaks for itself. I’m afraid we had someone lie earlier and then proceed to absolutely murder the song on the piano.”

Blaine waited for the next instruction.

“You have prepared the monologue?” The Director prompted. Blaine nodded. “Please begin.”

Blaine exhaled and raised his chin. “I’ve seen horrors… horrors that you’ve seen. But you have no right to call me a murderer.” He smiled darkly. “You have a right to kill me. You have a right to do that… but you have no right to judge me. It’s impossible for words to describe what is necessary to those who do not know what horror means. Horror… Horror has a face… and you must make a friend of horror.”

He breathed and shed the character he’d played for the moment. He heard more murmurs as he waited for feedback.

“I like the way you played that. I’m sure you’ve seen ‘Apocalypse Now’ but you chose to create your own character. Most would have played the bit just like Marlon Brando did.” There was more whispering. “You may have guessed that you’re auditioning for the part of a villain. You’ve impressed us.”

“Thank you.” Blaine replied.

“We’re going to ask you to banter back and forth with our lead. Obviously, we didn’t give you a script for this, but we’re looking for someone who can think on their toes.” An older man explained.

Blaine nodded. He could do that. He breathed in and exhaled slowly. He could do that.

“So, we’ll just bring our lead up and the two of you can just chat, okay? If it feels right, some good guy, bad guy dialogue would be great.” The Director sounded excited.

Blaine could just make out the shape of someone standing from the chairs and walking up towards the stage. His jaw dropped when he saw who was standing in front of him.

“Hello, Blaine.”

Blaine’s lips lifted and his heartbeat sped up.

“Shall we get started?”

 


	14. Rehearsal Dinner (Various POVs)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rehearsal dinner. Page breaks indicate a new POV.

Sam pulled his truck into Rachel’s driveway. He started to get out of the truck but he saw her hurrying out of the house. She looked beautiful in a flowery dress. She had certainly outgrown her animal sweaters and short skirts. Though he’d bet that Puck wouldn’t mind the black one making its way back into the rotation.

Rachel opened the door and hopped into the truck. She smiled at him and he turned his truck back on. He pulled back onto the drive and they headed towards Santana’s parents’ house.

“Thank you for picking me up, Samuel.” She paused and he saw her nibbling her lip from the corner of his eye. “I thought that we could…talk.”

Sam thought for a moment before he pulled over to the side of the road. “Yeah I think that’s probably a good idea.” He turned off the truck and turned to face her.

She smiled at him fondly, but he saw nothing beyond familiar fondness in her gaze. “I enjoy spending time with you and I can’t express how much our relationship has comforted me during my failure lap through Lima.” She twisted her hands together. “But, I don’t think we’re ever going to love each other.”

Surprise must have shown on his face because her eyes widened and she hurried on. “Oh, no! I thought you felt the same way! I’m so sorry. Oh, what a bad time to have-“

Sam caught one of her flapping hands between his own and smiled. “Rach, I _do_ feel the same as you. I was just a bit surprised. I think we’re better as friends, don’t you?”

Rachel flew across the seat and hugged him tightly. “Exactly!”

Sam chuckled as he hugged her back. She pulled away and put on her seatbelt. “So, we’re okay?”

Sam dramatically crossed his heart. She giggled and held out her pinky. They swore on it and he pulled away from the curb. She turned on his radio and they sang along to the country song playing. He glanced over at her and couldn’t help but grin. She might not be for him, but she’d make some lucky bastard very happy some day. As he pulled into the Lopez driveway behind Puck’s truck, he wondered if some day wasn’t sooner than later.

He got out of the truck and opened Rachel’s door for her. They entered the party together, but after a gentle smile between them, he went one way and she went the other.

* * *

Rachel walked into the kitchen to ask if she could help with anything, but she was shooed out by the catering company. She headed towards the dining room and smiled when she saw Noah leaning against the back door, looking out at the cool night. She joined him and he smiled down at her when she brushed up against his side. His eyes raked over her quickly and she blushed when he grinned wolfishly.

“You’re beautiful, Rach.” He told her, eyes moving back towards the backyard.

Rachel’s cheeks hurt as she grinned in response. Her eyes felt oddly wet in the wake of his compliment. He hadn’t said she was beautiful in the dress or right at that moment. Just that she was beautiful. She leaned in closer to his side and he dropped an arm around her shoulders. She sighed happily as they watched Mike and Brittany engage in a dance-off outside.

* * *

She smelled amazing. Not too sweet like Quinn’s peach scent or too spicy like Santana’s cinnamon.  Rachel always smelled a bit like vanilla and wildflowers. Light and addictive but never too much. He inhaled deeply, pulling her closer to his body as the cold swept over them. He’d swear he’d felt her sigh happily.

He caught Brittany grinning at them before she turned away to face Mike again. A chuckle caught deep in his chest. He should have known that Brit was behind all of this. He’d wondered when Kurt had dumped Blaine. And he’d noticed the pairings for the wedding planning. He wasn’t stupid. But the manic glee in Brit’s eyes as she saw Puck standing with Rachel confirmed his suspicions.

As Rachel smiled up at him, he couldn’t help but thank Jew God for Brit and her meddling.

* * *

Mercedes stood in the corner with Kurt as they watched their former classmates. As soon as she’d seen Berry and Sam, she knew that it was over between them. She huffed a growl as she watched Rachel go to Puck and Sam find Quinn.

They’d all be fucking married before Santana and Brittany.

She was furious. She’d worked so hard and they’d screwed it all up. She glanced sideways at Kurt and he looked just as angry. He’d be fine though. She knew he’d had a couple hot dates with Chandler.

Across the room Quinn smiled up at Sam through her bangs and Mercedes wanted to punch her. Sam fell all over himself as they talked quietly.

“This is so typical.” Kurt snarled. “Everyone gets their stupid happily ever after. Puck’s practically humping Rachel over there. And where the hell is Blaine?”

Mercedes’ eyes wandered over the people in the room. “He must still be at that audition Pierce set up.”

Kurt whirled to face her. “Audition? What audition?”

Mercedes shrugged, not really caring. “I heard Brittany telling Quinn that Blaine was in LA at a TV audition.”

* * *

His fists balled in rage. How was he supposed to get Blaine back if he was in LA? On a TV show no less. Stupid Brittany and Santana messing with things that didn’t concern them.

He heard Mr. Lopez announce that dinner was ready. He followed the herd into the substantial dining room. Sitting down beside Mercedes and Tina, he glanced around the table. He wasn’t even sure why he’d come to the rehearsal dinner. He wasn’t a part of the wedding. He should have said no just on principle.

“Who are those free seats for?” Tina wondered aloud. Kurt followed her gaze to the two seats between Brittany and Puck.

Kurt opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and rushing footsteps. Blaine appeared, breathless and smiling. He grabbed Brittany out of her chair and pulled her into a huge hug. Santana watched in fond confusion. He let go of Brittany and turned to face the room.

“Sorry everyone, the flight was delayed. We came right here.” He explained, blushing in embarrassment.

Brittany was assuring him that they would have waited for him when Kurt registered the sound of someone out by the coat closet. “Who is ‘we’?” He asked, tone tight and higher than usual.

Brittany clapped her hands together happily as another man entered the room. “Hey Sebastian! How was the flight?” She jumped up and kissed the man on the cheek as he sat down between Puck and Blaine.

The room was stunned and quiet as the two men settled at the table. Puck looked between the two men before leaning towards Sebastian and offered his hand. They grinned at each other and Rachel greeted him from Puck’s other side. He could feel several eyes on him as he stared at his nemesis.

“What the hell is he doing here?” He demanded.

Santana raised her eyebrows at him. He saw Sebastian rest a hand on Blaine’s under the table and Kurt’s teeth ground together. “He was invited, Hummel. Problem?”

He met Santana’s glare and he began to shake in anger. “Yes, there is a problem. That jerk tried to break us up!”

Santana snorted. “Get over it. That was high school. He was invited. And if you don’t shut your mouth then you will be uninvited. _Understood_?”

Kurt felt Mercedes put a hand on his shoulder. He thought about storming out. He really thought about it. But how would he win if he didn’t watch Sebastian’s game?

Mr. and Mrs. Lopez watched the drama unfold in discomfort. Mrs. Lopez cleared her throat and prayed over the food. “Thank you for this joyous occasion. We are so happy to host old friends and new ones. Bless this food and our girls tomorrow afternoon as they get married.”

* * *

Santana glanced around the table as the servers placed their first course in front of the guests. She smiled as Brit thanked Sam and Quinn for picking such a good caterer as she ate her soup. Everything had seemingly fallen into place. Finally. Sam and Quinn were smiling as they spoke to each other and those sitting beside them. Mike was fending off Tina’s unwanted advances. Puck and Rachel were laughing and talking to Sebastian. Mercedes and Kurt both looked angry and furious.

Santana hid her proud grin behind her spoon. Her fiancé was a genius. She had seen a way to ensure Blaine’s happiness. And she’d kept it secret.

She ran a hand through Brit’s beautiful blonde hair and blinked back her emotions. She couldn’t believe that she was marrying Brittany tomorrow.

* * *

Blaine blushed as Puck joked about “Sleeping his way to the top.” Rachel poked him in the side with a “Noah! You’re embarrassing them.”

Blaine shook his head in exasperation. Sebastian didn’t look embarrassed in the slightest.

“Alright, alright. Tell us the story then.” Puck demanded as they dug into their salads.

Sebastian shot him a smile and Blaine squeezed his hand under the table. Puck started fake-gagging and Blaine frowned at him. “Seriously, you guys are so gross with this sappy staring.”

Blaine’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline, but Sebastian beat him to answering. “Have you seen you around her?” He pointed towards Rachel. “The two of you were gross back in high school, even _I_ saw that. Now you’re all pent up unresolved sexual tension.”

Puck’s mouth popped open and for a minute Blaine expected him to punch Sebastian. Then he threw his head back and roared in laughter. Rachel hid her face in Puck’s shoulder, but he could just make out the red tinge to her ears.

“Touché. Story?” Puck prompted once he’d stopped laughing.

* * *

Sebastian’s thumb brushed over Blaine’s knuckles. “Brit called me a while back asking if I knew of any auditions coming up. I got him in on this new part they’re working on. But he was the one who nailed it. He was the only one they really considered. No one else could sing like him and nobody else even got to read with me.”

He had been surprised to hear from Brittany. He hadn’t really talked to her when they were in competing clubs. And he still had no idea how she’d gotten his number. She had insisted that her cat had given it to her.

He was unlisted.

But when she’d asked the favour he’d agreed immediately. He had buried the hatchet with Blaine before he’d headed off to LA, but he had found his thoughts drifting to the handsome brunet over the past couple years.

And he had killed it. Somehow his memories of Blaine’s voice hadn’t done him justice. He’d been quiet during the audition because he trusted the team enough to choose Blaine.

He’d been thrilled when their chemistry translated well onstage. He’d enjoyed watching Blaine build the character as they bantered back and forth. There hadn’t been a question in his mind that Blaine was their villain.

“We bantered back and forth and Blaine just sort of _became_ the character. He hadn’t even seen a description. It was great.” Sebastian shot Blaine a wink as he bragged about him.

“Blaine! I’m so proud of you!” Rachel exclaimed.

Puck chuckled at her exuberance, groaning when she elbowed him. “What show is this, Dude?”

Blaine answered him. “Sebastian is the lead in an upcoming superhero show.”

Puck’s eyes widened. “Which superhero?”

Sebastian grinned. “I’m the Flash.”

Puck grinned and turned his back. “Sam! Mike! ‘Bas here is the Flash!”

Sebastian leaned back towards Blaine as they all geeked out. Sam was throwing rapid-fire questions at him about the character and which of the comics they were sourcing material from. Mike was excitedly telling Tina who the Flash was and Puck pumped a fist into the air. “Your friends are dorks.”

Blaine smiled at him. “Aren’t they great?”

Sebastian agreed. They were pretty awesome. He caught Brittany grinning at him over Blaine’s head. She winked and he winked back.

* * *

As his former friends fanboyed over the jerk beside Blaine, Kurt tried to catch Blaine’s eye. But his ex ignored him, smiling up at Sebastian and laughing with Puck and Rachel.

Kurt threw his napkin on the table and walked out of the room. When only Mercedes followed, they left the party completely. Why would he spend his time with those losers anyway?

* * *

Santana smirked as she watched the two stomp out of her home. She stood and raised a glass. Her friends joined her and she put her hand on Brit’s neck.

“Thanks for being here. And for helping us plan the wedding. I’m not going to bore you with the mushy stuff. So, here’s to everyone for helping out.” She raised her glass and everyone clinked glasses before enjoying their wine.

She saw Blaine lean towards Brit. “And to the two nosiest, smartest brides in our group.”

Brit giggled and clinked glasses with him.


	15. 3 Years Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end. Thank you to everyone who waited so long for this. I hope these last chapters make it up to you.

**3 years later.**

Santana watched as Brit opened her present. The youthful cheer hadn’t faded in her gorgeous wife. And they loved each other as much now on their third anniversary as they had when they’d gotten married. Brit leaned over and smacked a kiss to Santana’s cheek and rushed out of the room to try on the dress she’d just received.

Santana cleared away the wrapping paper and sipped on the red wine they’d opened for the evening. As she heard Brit moving around in the other room she thought back on their wedding day.

It had been perfect. No major snafus had occurred and the brides had been stress-free as they made their vows before their friends and family. Brit had been absolutely gorgeous in her white dress and San knew she’d been a total knockout in her black dress. She’d seen the pictures, she knew they’d looked good. Puck and Rachel had stood on Santana’s side and Blaine and Sam had stood for Brittany.

And somehow the hot Jews had managed to keep their eyes, and hands, off each other for the whole ceremony.

Santana hadn’t cried, _seriously_ , when Brittany had been walked in by Mr. Pierce. There had just been something in her eye, Okay? And Santana had thought she’d die of happiness as they were pronounced married. She’d never felt so _full_ before. As they walked back down the aisle together, their crying friends and family cheering them on, Santana had wondered how life could ever get any better.

The reception had been fun and perfect. They’d toasted Artie for managing everyone during the relationship drama and thanked their friends for the work they’d put in. Rachel and Puck had serenaded them all as everyone began to dance. Santana had watched with a bouncing Brit as Puck pulled Rachel onto the dance floor during the brides’ duet. They had harmonised until Puck leaned down and kissed Rachel, at which point Brit had shouted “Puckleberry!” and Santana was left to finish the song solo.

Everyone had seen Sam and Quinn dancing sweetly throughout the night. A soft happiness settling over them both. And Santana had howled with amusement when Blaine and Sebastian had fallen out of a closet half-clothed.

Perhaps the most shocking of all reunions had been Hiram and Leroy Berry. To this day Santana had no idea how Brit had managed it. It was a closely guarded secret between her, the Berries and Lord Tubbington.

But when the two men had walked onto the dance floor and started to dance, tears of joy streamed down Rachel’s face. She kept singing, of course. She’d haughtily reminded them all that she was a professional after all.

The proverbial cherry on top had been the absence of Mercedes and Kurt. There was no discomfort between former couples. Everyone was simply happy.

Lord Tubbington had, of course, a seat of importance to the right of Brittany at their head table. He later had to be chased away from the cake. Those were Brit’s favourite pictures.

“San?” Santana turned to face her wife and whistled.

“Looking good, Hot Stuff. Try it with those black heels you bought last month.” Santana watched her wife hurry from the room.

She couldn’t believe it had been 3 years already. She had been a married woman for three whole years!

They had moved back to New York after the wedding. Brit had joined a ballet company and Santana had found work singing background vocals in studio and acting off-Broadway in the occasional show.

Puck and Rachel had followed soon after, sharing a small apartment nearby. They hadn’t wasted any time. They’d been married within a year. Rachel had spent two years on Broadway in a supporting role. She won a Tony and then announced that they were expecting a child.

Santana wasn’t sure she’d ever seen Brit so ecstatic about anything. Being named the Godmothers had been a shock. And Santana hadn’t cried then either. She hadn’t!

With all the faith of his tiny Diva behind him, Puck focused on his song-writing and found work at a recording studio. He’d had several top 10 hits, though it was other artists singing his songs. He had always preferred being in the background.

Brittany rushed back into the room and spun for Santana to see. She was beautiful. The bright green dress brought out the colour in her pale eyes. “Gorgeous.”

Brit snuggled up to her on the couch. “Can we go back to Ohio when Quinn has the baby?”

Santana wrapped her wife up in her arms. “Yeah, I’ve booked some time off already.”

Brit sighed happily. “I’m so happy it all worked out. Sam and Quinn and little Nicky. What do you think they’ll name this one?”

“Probably something stupid like Isabella or Quintin.” She snarked.

“I bet it’ll be pretty, like Nicky is.” Brit continued, ignoring Santana’s sass.

Santana kissed the side of Brit’s head as they turned on the TV. They flipped through the PVR before choosing Brit’s favourite show.

The episode started in a dark alley, music playing from inside one of the buildings. The camera moved through the alley and through a side door. There was a bright room, full of people and an attractive man playing guitar and singing on stage. There was a band around him but the focus was on the lead singer. He sang a catchy song and the fans sang along with him. The lead singer met the eyes of a tall brown-haired man at the back of the room and the screen went dark. The show’s opening credit sequence played as Brit rested her head on Santana’s thigh.

“I can’t believe he got his own show.” Santana remarked as Blaine’s face flashed across their screen, the theme song blaring in the background.

“I’m not surprised.” Brit stated. “He was such a great character. Of _course,_ they gave him his own show. My favourites are the ones with Sebastian though.”

Santana knew that. Brit told her every time they watched either show. It had all worked out quite nicely for the two of them. They weren’t on the same show anymore, but they filmed on the same lot in Vancouver. Although, they lived together in _Canada_ , so maybe they weren’t so lucky.

“Do you think they’ll get married?” Brit wondered as the show returned from commercial.

Santana thought about it as she watched the two banter back and forth on the screen. The Flash was accusing A Minor of committing a crime. The rocker just teased the Flash in return.

“I don’t know, Brit. Not everybody gets married. They know they’re it for each other. I think it might just be enough.” She answered slowly.

“We did good, San.” Brit told her as they watched the real-life couple bicker on screen. “Everybody got their penguins.”

The meddling had been stressful and at times Santana had doubted it would work. But three years later, everyone was still where they belonged.

That didn’t make her tear up. _Shut up._


End file.
